Hero's Blade
by DixieMame
Summary: A twisted tale of King Arthur...Squire Mickey, Prince Pete, and Sir Goofy team up to find the true king, and defeat The Covenant! Cancelled.
1. Prolouge

_Wheee, the story is finally here, the one that 'Fairy Tale' was all about!_

Can you spot all the movie and cartoon references made out from here on? Have fun with that!

This is a large, wild spin on the tale of King Arthur, done Disney style, totally AU. And why would a tiger give birth to a black cat? Because this author is horrible, that's why!

Anyways, enjoy! All the characters belong to Disney!

* * *

During a time of terrible strife, the grand and glorious King Walt Disney of England was struck down in his prime. In a deadly battle, he was found slain and dying in his good friend's, Shere Khan, arms. Khan relayed the message that, in his dying breath, the throne would be handed over to this friend, since Walt had no heirs to speak of.

Four years after the change of kings, Khan gave birth to a son, the proud Prince Pete. When Pete was but a child, Khan's soldiers found an orphaned boy in the outskirts of a nearby village…Khan decided to give his son a squire, and the boy, dubbed Squire Mickey Mouse, lived with his new family.

Mickey claimed not to know of any family, having been in a rusty orphanage all his life. He and his supposed 'friend' Pete grew up together, learning all about riding steeds, taking part in practice sword battles, and waiting for the time when Pete would be crowned king.

However, there was a catch to the throne.

In England's history, Walt had been the ninety-eighth king to sit in the throne, and Khan was ninety-ninth. Legends far in the past told that the exact one hundredth king of England would have to prove his might against the past, and extract the legendary sword of Excalibur from an enchanted stone. Only he who could remove the sword would be England's mighty one hundredth king.

Many rumors sprung that Prince Pete would not be able to remove the sword, due to his father not officially being royal blood. Yet if Pete would not be king, who would?

Yet the entire kingdom would soon discover that an old sword would be the least of their problems.

Prince Pete is now twenty-three. Squire Mickey is now eighteen.

With one lost dog, the fate of England will be determined.


	2. The Magnificent

_Hope you enjoyed the prolouge. Here we get an introduction to many of the main characters. I love writing for a certain magician,he is just so FUN, plus he's my favorite Disney charrie,heeeeeeee._

Insert a Shrek-ish line...despite having nothing to do with Disney...blargh,couldn't help it.

All characters belong to Disney!

* * *

"All rise, and hail his majesty, King Shere Khan!"

Like a flowing wave, everyone in attendance rose to attention to greet their ruler. The large beast rose from his throne, sunlight from crystal window causing his orange and black fur to fine like tainted fire. He adjusted his robes, and grinned from ear to ear, his wild fangs glistening. He waved a hand, and everyone was seated.

He cleared his throat before speaking. "As you all know, my son, Prince Pete Khan, has turned twenty-three last week. He is well into the rightful age of wisdom and bravery…you are all probably wondering if this is the right time for me to pass down the crown. However, there is that whole ridiculous sword nonsense." He chuckled, and there were a few chortles of uneasy laughter in the audience. "In a month's time, I shall send my son off to extract the sword, and claim his rightful place on the throne. Everyone here…you need not worry. My son shall be a peaceful and kind ruler just as I was."

There were nervous glances all around concerning that statement. Khan then waved again. "But, then, I did not come here to brag about my son. Delegates, you may rise and question." He scanned the crowd, and pointed to a shaking white rabbit. "Ah, Roger, how is your wife?"

"Juuuuuust fine, your highness." Delegate Roger strung out, and then tried to correct himself. "Ah, well, there is something concerning us…you, ah, heard about this…Covenant business?"

The King leaned back, bursting into roaring laughter. "The Covenant! Surely you don't believe such fairy tales!"

Roger swallowed, hating that he had to continue. "But…but sire, there have been a large number of crows flocking on the palace towers every day…that's their sign!" His voice reaching hysterical limits, he found himself unable to stop. "It means doom upon the place they rest! The Covenant, they'll come here and peck out our eyes and squish our brains, which I heard is actually great on toast - "

"ENOUGH!" Khan boomed, causing his followers to cower in fear. He eyed them all for a moment, and then sighed with a smile. "As I said…The Covenant does not exist. These crows…it is merely their pattern of migration. We have nothing to fear. Why, I bet my boy is preparing for this grand position of leadership as we speak!"

* * *

"YOU LOST PLUTO!"

The overweight black cat held up hands to his ears, rolling his eyes at his squire's shriek. He slowly placed his hands back down. "Wasn't MY fault!" He snapped. "I was trying to get the darn dog to hunt a few birds, but he wouldn't stay still! Then the leash snapped, and off he went."

The short mouse threw his hands up in exasperation. "If I've told you once, I've told you a million times, Pluto hates hunting!" He headed towards the window…right outside the surrounding village, one could easily see the bleak and black forest. "He's all out there alone…we have to go get him!"

The lummox raised an eyebrow. "'We'? I have plenty of other dogs, better ones. Losing one is not a big deal."

The squire squeaked, turning to face his foe. "What! But he's probably cold, hungry, terrified! We can't just leave him there, Pete!"

Pete leaned in dangerously. "If you've got such a problem with it, why don't you go get it…" He then poked the young one's chest, rather hard. "…_Mouse_." He added, his voice cold as ice.

Said mouse's eyes widened, and he looked out the window again, swallowing. The boys were never supposed to go to the woods alone…being lost was an easy task. Add in the fact of mysterious beasts, deadly hunters, and the occasional thorn in one's foot, it wasn't exactly a pleasant place to travel. Yet, the thought of Pluto having to deal with such troubles…

"Fine, I will go find him, or my name isn't Mickey Mouse!" He pumped his fists up and down, feeling full of adrenaline. "You just watch!" With that settled, he began running out of the room, his big yellow shoes smacking against the tiles.

Pete shook his head, and sat down on his bed. What a fool, he thought of Mickey. Risking his life for some mutt! He snorted, and lay down. _Good riddance to the both of them. _

He didn't see the crow now sitting at his windowsill.

* * *

It was nearly noon…but then, he really had no way of telling. Inside the forest, it was pitch black. Only flickers of light stemmed from the tree above. He gulped, and began calling out. "Pluto! Pluuuutoooo! Here boy! Come here!"

No response.

Not that there had been one for the three hours he had been out in the forest.

Yes, he was lost, and only getting more so by the minute. With a heavy sigh, he continued walking forward, looking around as he heard the wind blow against rough leaves. Panic began to set in. What if Pluto was in danger, by a strong, big animal?

Mickey looked down at his arsenal.

Mickey did not have an arsenal.

_Okay, probably should have thought this out before running into no-man's land. _So he didn't have a weapon, and had no way to defend himself. He patted the ground, and miraculously found a weapon!

A stick.

_Well, it's a BIG stick!_

It was not a big stick. It was mediocre at least. But it was better than nothing. He continued calling out for his companion. "Come on, Pluto, where are you!"

Just when all hope seemed lost, the young squire noticed something strange up ahead in the distance. A large, shining light…upon closer look, it was a large gathering of sunlight, focused on one area. The small area had no large trees to speak of, hence the light, and right in the middle of this vicinity was a large, blue home. Ponds and flowers were lined all around, with various woodland creatures napping here and then.

Yet as far as Mickey knew, no one lived in the woods. So what was going on?

His train of thought was interrupted by a rather loud scream. "AAAAAAAAHHHH-HA-HA-HOOOOIEEEEE!" It seemed to come from within the house, and repeated itself twice more.

Forgetting about his dog and the possible danger, the brave mouse began running towards the home, splashing through puddles and accidentally waking several of the nearby animals. He slammed his body against the door, which swung open quickly. He then thrust his small stick forward, like a makeshift sword, ready to defend whoever the scream had come from.

His heroic demeanor was wiped away rather quickly by the sight in front of him.

On the ceiling was a large mesh of spider webs, including a round one larger than all of them combined. A black spider, bigger than a horse, was tossing a cocooned person up and down much like a yo-yo. From what Mickey could tell, the person was a very tall dog with a bump on his noggin, and in fact was the screamer.

Mickey blinked a few times to let these facts sink in. He then shook his head wildly, and pointed his stick at the spider. "Unhand that man!" He shouted, although his hand was shaking. The spider looked up, all eight eyes boring into the young hero. Mickey's shoulders slumped. "Um…please?"

Surprisingly, the spider held up the string holding the cocoon, and bit into it. The entrapped fell onto the floor with a loud THUD, and Mickey quickly ran over. "Hold on! I'll get you out of there!" He plunged the stick inside the trap, and yanked downwards….there was a loud ripping noise, and the vessel split in two.

The victim sat up, holding his head. He was dressed in blue, flowing robes, and his buckteeth stood out like large windows. He looked up at the spider, and shook a gloved finger. "Bad boy! How many times have I told you, don't play with your food!"

The confused mouse held a hand out. "Are you okay, sir?"

"Huh?" The dog looked back, as if noticing Mickey for the first time. "Oh, sure. Archie here just likes to mess with me…he's a naughty spider." He stood up, and dusted himself off. "So, you just came in here without any regards to your own safety?"

It hadn't occurred to the squire. He blinked before answering. "Oh…well…I guess I did." His cheeks went a little red, embarrassed. "I heard you scream, and I wanted to help."

The older man smiled, crossing his arms. "That's very noble of you, Mickey."

Aforementioned nodded, but then blinked, and stared up at his elder. "Wait a minute, how'd you know my name?"

The blue robed chuckled, and began walking to his left, heading for a brown door. "I know a lot about you, Mickey! And I know why you're in the woods all by yourself." He opened the door, and a spontaneous yellow leapt out and tackled Mickey to the ground, covering the startled boy in long, wet licks.

"Pluto!" Mickey cheered out joyfully, holding his companion close. "Oh, boy, I was so worried! I'm so glad to see you're okay!" The hound yipped, giving his friend another slobbery kiss.

"I found him a few hours ago." The man suddenly said, closing the door. "Prince Pete should really be more careful with the animals."

Mickey looked at the man curiously. "Now hold on! How do you know about us?"

The man chuckled, and made a show of wiggling his fingers. In the blink of an eye, a blue floppy hat appeared on his head, cone-shaped and dotted with stars. "The name's Merlin, and I know a lot more than most people do."

Mickey's jaw hit the floor, and he quickly stood up. "M-Merlin!" He stammered in awe. "Merlin the Magician? Merlin the Magnificent? Why, you're the most famous wizard in all of England!"

"Gwarsh, it aint no big deal." The magician laughed, adjusting his hat. "Besides, most people just call me Goofy. Don't really know why." He shrugged, one of his shoulders accidentally knocking a bottle off a shelf and thus smashing onto the floor. "But I like it!"

Mickey held a hand to his mouth to suppress a few chuckles before speaking again. "This is really amazing…I can't wait to tell everyone that I met Mer – er, Goofy, the wizard!" He paused, and then his face fell. "Aw…no one would ever believe me! And I don't know how to get home!"

Goofy waved a finger, shaking his head. "You just leave that to me. I'm coming with you!"

Mickey and Pluto exchanged a look of confusion.

Goofy continued. "My magic allows me to see glimpses of the future…I knew that Pete would let Pluto loose by accident, and that you'd come to find him. I also know that you two will go on many great adventures, and I aim to help you!"

Mickey gasped, excited, but then looked to the house surroundings. "But what about all your animals?"

Goofy headed for the front door. "They can take care of themselves, I just kept 'em around for company! Now let's you get home before Pete blames you for this mess!"

* * *

The trip back home actually took twice as long as getting to Goofy's home in the first place, due to the magician's constant short-cuts, which ironically made it much longer. When they returned to the kingdom, many gasps and stares were made at Mickey's new companion…but it would be nothing compared to the royals reactions.

* * *

"This is Merlin the Magnificent?" The King breathed, struggling to maintain air from all his laughter. "This…this clumsy oaf is the all mighty Merlin?"

"Goofy, if you please." The taunted replied, smiling pleasantly.

"Of course." Khan sniggered, and then adjusted himself to sit up straight. His son, to his right, was still brewing in jealousy of Mickey's find. "Now…you say you want to stay here and teach these two?"

Goofy nodded. "If your majesty wouldn't mind. Your boys are already educated and talented, but I was hoping to give them wisdom, and aide them on whatever dangers may peril them."

Khan rubbed his furry chin, thinking this over. "It does sound like an intriguing prospect…I rather like it. All right, Sir Goofy, you will stay here at the palace, and teach my son and the squire what you wish. One can never learn too much." He clapped his hands. "Squire, show the wizard to his room."

Mickey bowed, and began to lead Goofy off into a nearby hallway, but they were followed by the suspicious Pete.

"Are you sure you're the real deal?" Pete growled, rubbing his hands together. "You don't look powerful to me."

Goofy shrugged. "Don't wanna be a show off, I suppose. Now, I want you both to get some rest and practice sword-play plenty this week."

Mickey looked up quizzically. "Why's that, sir Goofy?"

Goofy winked. "You'll see."

* * *

The crow landed ever so gently on its masters fingers. It then leaned in towards her ear, and relayed what it had learned.

There were many women before the one holding the crow. One stepped forward, making sure to bow. "If My Lady pleases, I shall go and wipe these pests out. I have already captured several trespassers in my domain, these boys will be no different."

The leader waved a hand.

The speaker bowed again. "Many thanks. All hail the Queen!"

A chorus rose up, deadly and haunting.

"All hail the Queen!"

"All hail the Covenant!"

"Death to the royals!"

**"Death to the royals!" **

End Of Chapter One.


	3. Fowl Play

_Rulers still aren't working...RAWR on this site for ruining the drama... _

_So, the lady you'll see here is Ursula...couldn't find a way to stick her name in,and this is the last time you'll see this particular witch,so...ah well._

_All characters belong to Disney._

00000

One week later…

There were dozens of exquisite rubies, emeralds, diamonds, and all other sorts of beautiful jewels lying before the King. These lovelies, however, sent a chill through the tiger's spine. He closed the chest containing the beauties, and reread the letter that had come with them.

"Enjoy these treasures in your mortal days, 

Proclaim them to all with a merry shout,

Do all the things you ever wished you could,

Because your time with the living is running out."

He had read several letters of assassination in his lifetime, as was the price of being a king, but none had ever come with a raven's feather attached. Khan ran a hand over his face, and put the letter down. The Covenant was just an old wife's tale...it had to be, it just had to…

He jumped when heard a knock on his chambers door. He quickly composed himself, and turned around. "You may enter."

The doors swung open, revealing the ever-pleasant Goofy. He stepped inside, and whistled at his surroundings. "Nice place!"

Khan rolled his eyes. "What is it, Sir Goofy?"

"Huh?" The magician blinked with confusion, and then snapped his fingers. "Oh, right! I was wonderin' if you'd let me take the boys on a walk through the woods!"

Khan raised an eyebrow. "A walk? What will that teach them?"

Goofy clicked his tongue, and wagged a finger. "Don't make me ruin the surprise! That's half the fun!"

Khan rolled his eyes, and looked away. "Do as you wish. I will be busy today anyway."

"Thanks!" Goofy cheered, and walked out with a skip.

Khan sighed, and looked at the letter once more. He frowned, and crumpled it up.

00000

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

Mickey didn't know what was more annoying - Pete repeating the question over and over, or Goofy calmly repeating the answer over and over. The squire looked at Pluto by his side, and judging by the canine's aggravated expression, he felt the same way. Mickey sighed before clearing his throat. "Where is 'there' exactly? You still haven't told us where we're going or what we're doing!"

"The pipsqueak's right!" Pete snapped. "I feel like we've been walkin' around in circles! I thought we were gunna get special training!"

Goofy tilted his head let and right, back and forth. "I think we'll be there soon…"

"You think!" Both young males cried out in exasperation.

Before Goofy could explain himself, a sharp whistle broke through the air, and a sleek arrow shot through, pinning Goofy's floppy hat to a tree. The group froze, as a clamor was made in trees above. "Halt!" A voice called out.

"We're halting, we're halting!" Pete yammered, holding up a shaking blade.

An amused chuckle was heard, and a figure leapt from above. Standing before the frightened crowd was an orange and white fox, donned in green leather and a feathered cap. A bow and arrow rested in one of his hands, and a wily smile was played on his face. "Sorry about your hat, good sir. Wanted to see if I was up against a group of vicious fighters."

Goofy yanked the arrow out of a tree, releasing his hat. "No harm done, sir Robin Hood."

Mickey and Pete did a simultaneous jaw-drop. Pete managed to find his voice first. "THE sir Robin? Who steals from the rich and gives to the poor?"

"Who can never miss a shot, and can fight better than all the king's men combined?" Mickey added, his eyes sparkling with admiration.

The fox laughed heartily. "I feel so flattered! Just Robin will do, the honors are not needed. What brings you lads to my neck of the woods?"

Goofy stepped forward. "This here is Prince Pete, Squire Mickey Mouse, Pluto, and I'm Goofy. From what I hear, you've lost some of your men?"

Robin raised his eyebrows, surprised. "How fast word travels!" he then sighed with a sad tone. "Alas, it is true. A few days ago, Little John vanished along with a few innocent people we happened to be liberating their money from. We discovered them to be captured by a vile witch, not too far away."

Pete snorted. "Then why don't you go get 'em?"

Robin smiled faintly. "I would love too…alas, a witch's magic outrivals my talents. The remainder of my men are too afraid to join me in the good fight." He eyed each new member, suddenly grinning. "I could actually use a few good men to aide me!"

Mickey and Pete gasped, looking at each other. Mickey shyly put a foot forward. "Who…us?"

"Now hold on just a moment!" A feminine voice quipped. From the shadows of the trees came another fox, dressed in purple fabric, and with a long braid descending over her chest. "Robin, you can't just ask these boys to help you fight!"

Robin took the stranger's hand, and gave it a quick kiss. "Come now, my dear Maid Marian, the more the merrier!"

The maiden pulled her hand back. "You shouldn't always assume people want to jump into battle. They barely know us."

Robin groaned, and looked to the confused men. "Forgive my wife. She is…how can I put this…"

"Caring, concerned, wise beyond her years?" Marian smirked, poking Robin in the cheek.

"Actually, I was going for something along the lines of worrywart, but those work well too."

Goofy coughed to try and get their attention, while Pluto was looking back and forth between the two as the argument went on. "No need to worry, Maid Marian, these two are here to help!"

Pete blinked. "We are? This is news to me."

Mickey looked over to his superior. "Come on, Pete, it sounds like Robin could really use our help!"

The prince grumbled. "What's in it for us?"

Goofy chuckled, walking past his friends. "Don't worry, we'll come back home with something extra after this quest. Trust me!"

Mickey shrugged, but followed Goofy. After another grumble, Pete did the same.

00000

"That's the witch's lair."

The small group was in the treetops, looking down at large, dark hole in the ground below. All around the hole, the grass was dead, the dirt was crumbling, and not even a single insect stayed by. Robin frowned, squatting on his knees. "I once dropped a rock down there, to hear how deep it was. I still haven't heard anything."

"And he dropped it in two days ago." Maid Marian finished, uneasiness clear in her voice. "Wherever our friends are being held, it will take time to find them. Are you all equipped?" She looked to the newcomers.

Pete held up his steel blade with pride, although his hands did wobble from the weight. He had gotten the sword on his tenth birthday, and practiced as much as he could. The blade was as long as his arms, and the handle was golden with green emblems of the kingdom. It was truly an impressive sight.

Mickey, however, did not fare so well. Since he hadn't been born into the life of royalty, the king had not bothered to go into a long process to get Mickey a fancy sword. His own blade had seen many a decade before the lad was even born, and was chipped and coated with rust. His handle had pieces falling off, and was colored a dull red. Although it wasn't much, he practiced just as hard, perhaps even harder, as Pete and his magnificent rapier.

Goofy bore no weapons of his own, but nodded cheerfully. "We're all set! But before we go down, I know one important thing about a witches home…what you must never do is…" He suddenly trailed off. He frowned, and rubbed his chin. "Now let's see…what was it again?"

"Alas, good sir, we don't have the time!" Robin shouted, and stood up. "Every second we waste is another second those innocent people are in danger!" He leaned over on the branch, looking down at the hole.

Maid Marian's eyes widened, and she attempted a grab for her husband's tail. "Oh no, you're not going to - "

"HERE WE GO!" Robin yelled, leaping off of the branch, and falling straight into the hole, laughing the entire time.

Marian rolled a hand down her face. "That man is going to be the death of me." She got on her own feet, and jumped off her branch, following Robin downward.

Mickey swallowed, looking at the hole. "Gosh…that looks pretty deep…maybe we should just - " Before Mickey could finish his thought, Pete shoved him forward, and a screaming rodent descended downwards.

Pete laughed loudly, putting his hands on his hips. His good time, however, was cut short, when Goofy shoved him the same way. Once Pete's screams had died down, Goofy leapt, holding his legs ala cannonball, and vanished into the darkness as well. Finally, Pluto backed up on his branch, dusted himself off, and then charged forward and down with a magnificent belly flop.

00000

Several SPLATS later, the heroes were on a pile on a checked black and white tiled floor. There were several groans, even when they were on their feet. Pete turned to Goofy, his eyes ablaze with fury. He jabbed a finger into Goofy's nose. "What's the big idea, shoving me down? That could be called for treason!"

Goofy stepped back, twitching his nose. "Just giving you a taste of your own medicine, after what you did to Mickey."

Mickey, however, didn't seem to mind, looking at his surroundings. "Wow! Would you look at all this food!"

That seemed to gather everyone's attention, and they looked as surprised as Mickey. On both sides of the room, there were long, black tables, covered in delicious sweets. Fluffy white cakes, round balls of pure sugar, chocolates of all shapes and sizes…it was enough to make a cavity just by looking at them. To the far end of the room were descending stairs, and to the left of that, a long candy cane that seemed to spike down into other rooms, faster but riskier than the stairs.

"This looks delicious!" Pete slobbered, licking his lips with loud, smacking noises. He ran to a table, and hoisted up a chocolate cake dripping with colored icing. "All heroes should get a snack break!"

Mickey tried to approach the Prince, tapping his elbow. "Pete, you heard Robin! We don't have time for distractions, we have to save the others!"

Pete, however, ignored Mickey, and shoved his face into the sugary confection. Amidst his grunts and snorts of chewing, he failed to notice that his legs were see-through…and then disappeared completely!

Marian shrieked, pointing to Pete's missing legs. "Your highness, your feet! Your knees! Your…waist!" She pointed up more, as Pete's belly began to evaporate as well.

Pete looked up, his face smeared with chocolate goop. "What're you talkin' about?" He still seemed to ignore his disappearing body, now reaching up to his armpits.

Goofy then snapped his fingers. "Oh, NOW I remember! Never eat the food of a witch, because once you do, it's a sign of surrender. From my guess, Little John and the others ate the food, and are most likely ended up in some sort of dungeon…that's where Pete's probably vanishing to."

It finally sunk in for the Prince, and he dropped the desert, screaming down at himself. "Hold on a minute! Make it stop, make it stop!" Now he looked like a talking head, with everything below his neck gone.

"Sorry, boy." Robin replied, looking terribly amused with the situation. "You ate it, you pay for it. But don't worry…we'll rescue you, along with the others."

Pete snarled, his chin dribbling away to nothingness. "Now wait just a cotton pickin' - " And with that, his head was gone. There was an awkward pause of silence, before a few sniggers were let loose from the group.

Mickey sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing…but either way, we've really got to look for those prisoners."

"There are stairs over there." Marian pointed out, heading straight for them. "There are probably dozens of rooms here, but we should be able to find our friends."

Goofy, Pluto, and Robin began to follow the maiden, but Mickey stayed where he was, one of his big floppy shoes tapping against the floor. Before the group could descend, Robin looked back. "Come on, Mickey, what're you waiting for?"

"I was just thinking." Mickey slowly replied, his eyes gazing over the room. "There's an easy way to get to the imprisoned…" His mouth suddenly widened into a smile. "And then there's the fast way!" He began running towards the long candy cane, and hopped on. "I'll see you down beloooooooow!" His voice carried out as he slid down the banister.

Marian gasped in shock. "What is that boy thinking!"

Robin, however, was grinning from ear to ear, heading for the cane as well. "There's a time and place for risky decisions…I really do like this lad!" he leapt and grabbed onto the striped candy, sliding down.

Marian groaned, burying her face in her hands. "These boys are impossible."

Goofy shrugged. "If growing up was easy, it wouldn't take so long."

00000

The candy cane did eventually come to an end, stopping on a light brown floor. Mickey toed the ground curiously, and then gasped in surprise. It was made of chocolate! As his companions joined him, they noticed this final room was entirely made of chocolate! The furniture, the windows, curtains…white, dark, nutty, all sorts of blends in all sorts of ways.

"So, I get to add more pieces to my collection!"

Sitting atop a dark chocolate throne was a round woman, rubbing her hands together maliciously. Her short hair was a ratty mess of white and gray, lying on top of light purple skin. The thing that stood out the most was a white chocolate shell necklace laced over her chest. She stood up, her long black dress flowing onto the floor. "You're just in time, too…I was in the mood for smores!" With a clap of her hands, a large chunk of the floor in front of her fell down into an empty abyss. As quickly as that had fallen, a new section began to rise up…several large chocolate statues were hanging from licorice strings that meshed this way and that, ultimately causing the figures to hover a circle of fire.

Mickey's eyes suddenly widened with recognition. One of the figures, frozen in a state of anger… "Oh my gosh! That's Prince Pete!"

"And there's Little John, and the travelers!" Robin added with just as much enthusiasm. "Return them to normal, you witch!"

The large woman laughed, her stomach bobbing up and down with her chortles. "And why should I do that? I've been terribly hungry, and it's not like I would actually go about eating my own home…"

Mickey withdrew his sword, shakily pointing it at the foe. "If you don't turn them back, we'll make you!"

"I'd like to see you try, pipsqueak!" The deviant cackled, wiggling her fingers. A brown spark lit up from between two of her fingers. She then threw the spark with all of her might, and it was sheer luck that Pluto managed to jump back in time. In the spot were the spot had struck, a marmalade daisy began to grow.

The witch grinned, and more sparks began to glow from her hands. She began rapidly firing, and the gang began to run around like chickens with their heads cut off. To make matters worse, Marian let out a shriek. "The prisoners! They're melting!"

It was true…the heat below them was affecting the chocolate captives, slowly dripping, starting with their feet. If something weren't done quickly, all that would remain of their friends would be brown puddles! Mickey, upon realizing this, tossed away his fear. There was no way he was going to let these innocent people, and Pete, suffer because of this diabolical diva. He zigzagged in the room, trying to avoid the sparks while advancing on the villain. She happened to notice, however, and fired one smack dab at the hero.

The good news was it didn't hit him. The bad news was that it did hit his only weapon. Mickey watched in horror was his sword turned into a long blue lollipop. He blinked at the confection, and looked up nervously. "Blueberry. My favorite."

The witch smirked smugly. "None of you will leave here alone…and surely, with the Prince gone, the royal line will cease, and The Covenant will take its rightful place on the throne!"

Mickey blinked. "Okay…no idea what you just said, really, but if you plan on hurting my friends, it's not going to happen! " he slapped his lollipop around, poking the large woman in the belly. She lifted her right arm up, but used the other to slap Mickey away. As he rolled in the floor, he tried to register what had happened. What had the witch been doing with her right hand? He looked up, to see the hand fall back into place. It had been covering the white chocolate shell…

"Robin!" Mickey cried out, quickly getting to his feet. "I need you to fire an arrow right at her chest!"

Robin was running around, one hand holding onto his wife. "A little busy here!"

Goofy, catching on, began to shake his hands until they glow green. "I'll try to hold her back, and you do what the Squire says!" He began to fire blasts of green, and wherever they landed, a vegetable began to grow! Pluto did an eye roll at the reverse magic, and then went back to his own duty…trying desperately to blow the fire out with his own breath. At least the dog meant well.

Robin smiled, and then withdrew his bow and arrow set. "Well, my love, would you mind me firing at a female?"

Marian smirked, helping Robin with his aim. "Only if you promise me a kiss afterwards."

"Then this is a shot I'll gladly fire!" Robin grinned, letting his arrow fly. Caught off guard, the giant woman shrieked as the arrow pierced the shell, shattering it into a million pieces. The lady wailed in horror, sinking to the floor, as beams of white and black shot out from her. The room immediately began to change, candy turning into wood and dirt, and the once edible hostages were now flesh and blood…although yelping upon feeling the fire lick their feet.

Robin and Marian quickly ran over to the ground, untying them from the licorice - now ropes - that held them captive. Goofy walked over to the witch, and began to tie her wrists using stretchy celery. "It was kind of foolish for you to put all your magic into one object. Everyone who's anyone knows that's just a shortcut!" The witch growled for a response.

"You guessed the shell was her weak spot!" Robin said merrily after freeing the others, slapping Mickey hard on the back. "Now that's what I call good observation!"

Mickey scratched the back of his head shyly. "Aw, shucks…"

Suddenly, there was a flap of white feathers, and one of the travelers laid himself at Mickey's feet. "My hero!" he squawked, kissing Mickey's feet. The eager animal was a duck, coated in a dark blue long-sleeved shirt with many a black buckle laced inside and out. "That's the last time I travel alone! Please please PLEASE let me find a way to repay you nice guys!"

Mickey blinked, unused to such gratitude. "Uh…well…nothing I can really think of, mister…?"

The duck looked up. "I'm Donald, Donald Duck! I was trying to look for a job…but instead of an interview, I got turned into a sugary sweet!"

Goofy smiled, crossing his arms. "You can stay with us, mister Duck! You'll be our new stable boy!"

Donald stood up, ready to thank his new friend, but paused. "Wait…how did you know I'm good with animals?"

Pete, now free, loomed over the magician. "Let me get this straight. This is our reward? We risk our necks falling down a huge whole, and nearly get eaten by a chubby sorceress, and all we get is a cowardly fowl who can clean horse poop?"

Goofy paused, and then bobbed his head up and down in a giddy nod. "Yup, pretty much."

As Pete began to scream at Goofy, Marian frowned at Mickey's sword…unlike the others strange concoctions of the candy home, the weapon remained a tasty treat. "You poor dear…sorry about your sword."

Mickey sighed sadly, twisting the lollipop about. "That's okay…I guess all my sword's resistance to magic wore off years ago, and even with the shell again, it was too weak to reverse back…"

"Sad state of affairs, my friend." Robin added, squeezing Mickey's shoulder. "I'm sure you can get a new one…a better one!"

Mickey looked up at Robin, and gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Robin…" he then looked to Donald, who looked very confused. "Well, Donald, I guess it's time we took you to your new home. Welcome to the crew!" They shook hands, the smiles radiating off each other.

00000

Hundreds of miles away…

The woman grunted, smacking her hammer into the blazing gold piece. Maybe this time, it would work! She panted, and smacked it again. "It's got to work…it has to work!" She fell on one knee, exhausted. "I can't stop now…the eclipse is coming…the prophecy must be stopped…" Gathering, her strength, she resumed working on the weapon, hitting it over and over. "I must stop the prophecy…"

Outside of her workshop, a crow sat on the windowsill, watching the woman work.

One could swear it was laughing.

End Of Chapter Two.


	4. Doggone

_I had to make a few changes for the story outline on this one...I originally wanted to have Goofy and the witch for this chapter have a magic duel, but it wasn't working. But it WILL happen...just not with this witch,heh._

In this chapter, the levels of magic are explained, Mickey and Pete show their true colors, and someone takes a ride on the matrimony pony! (Yes,please hate me for that one)

All characters belong to Disney...and speaking of which, any characters you'd love to see cameo'd here? Give 'em a shout, and I'll see where I can put 'em!)

* * *

_Thirteen years ago... _

The little held onto her mother's bed sheet, listening carefully to the departing words.

"_My little one...our destiny is on your shoulders now." _

"Yes, Mama."

"You know what to do."

"Yes, Mama. I'll make you proud."

Satisfied, the elder closed her heavy eyes. "Ninety nine kings...and the next shall be the last."

* * *

Two weeks since Robin Hood...

Donald Duck fit in rather easily at the castle. Almost spontaneously, the animals grew attached to him, obeying his every word. The same couldn't be said for those walking on their hind legs. He had a nasty temper, and lost it very easily...

"Who are ya' callin' a shwimp?" The fowl screeched, comically hopping up and down on one foot while bobbing his fists.

It was difficult for the insulter, Pete, to hold back a roar of laughter. "I'm callin' you a shrimp, shrimp!" He then leaned over, nose-to-bill with Donald, easily showing off the difference in sizes. "Got a problem with it?"

If Donald's temper was fast, than his cowardice was Mach speed. He quickly dropped his hands, and smiled sheepishly. "Not me. Nope, nope, I'm fine with swhimp."

There was a loud cough, and their attention was diverted to Goofy. All of them, including Mickey, were standing in a small room, with nothing inside save for a large blackboard on one wall. Mickey was sitting on the cold floor, shaking his head at his immature classmates. "Come on, guys, the king wants us to learn! All of this could be really helpful."

"I'm a PRINCE." Pete sneered, but sat down next to Mickey with a loud WHUMP. "I don't need to learn nothin'!"

Donald sat next to his former foe, surprisingly nodding in agreement. "And I'm just a stable boy, this is ridiculoushh." He shut his beak when he saw Pete snickering at his slippery accent.

Goofy didn't seem to mind the backlash, and simply gave another one of his bucked smiles. "I know all of yer positions, but that doesn't mean you can't become something more!" Mickey's head seemed to perk up at this, and the magician went on. "Social classes, shmocial classes! There's nothing you guys can't do!" He then paused. "Well, 'cept fly...and breathe water...and visit Mars...and - "

"GOOFY!" All three students shouted at once.

Goofy blinked, and then blushed. With another cough, he turned to the writing board. "Now...uh...what was I talkin' about before?"

Mickey sat up straighter before replying. "I asked what you meant when you were talking to that witch a few weeks ago...about how that shell was some easy way out." Hearing 'easy way out', Pete seemed to pay considerable attention.

Goofy rapidly nodded, and then, picking up a piece of chalk, began writing what looked like a foreign language. "That's right! Ya see...magic is a complicated process. There are three levels of magic, each one more powerful than the last. The first level of magic is something everyone possess."

Startled, Donald spat for a few minutes, trying to speak. "You mean to say we ALL have magic?"

Pete snorted, doubtful. "If that was true, I would have poofed all of you away by now."

Goofy cleared his throat, catching their silence again. "Magic is a part of everyone..love, hope, belief, those are very magical feelings! If you can feel that strongly, along with the right spell and the perfect ingredients, you can perform little tricks."

"Little?" Mickey raised an eyebrow.

"Well, despite how strong the emotions can be, a single regular mortal can't perform something as big as...say..." He snapped his fingers, and a small raincloud appeared beside him. After an itty bitty thunder boom, he snapped it away. He seemed to ignore the gaping jaws of his students as he continued. "The most a regular mortal can do is blow a small amount of wind, or make a broken stick whole."

"Gee, that's useful." Pete groaned, dripping with sarcasm.

"The second level..."Goofy went on,undeterred. "...is putting magic into an item. With such an item, the magic spells only need to be said in your head, not out loud. In order to do that, you have to cleanse your body by staying in a pool of water up to your neck for one whole month, and that means you can't leave that water for a second, not even to eat! Then you choose a powerful spell, depending on what object you want to enchant. You have to pronounce each word exactly right, but if you mess it up, you have to start with the water all over again."

Pete had to blink for a few moments before all this information finally registered. "And that's the _easy_ way out?"

"And then, finally, the third and most powerful level, is the body being a magic vessel. No spells required, it's all about your will." Goofy stretched his arms a little, and then pulled back one of his sleeves,showing numerous scars. "In order to fill your entire body with magic, from your head to your toes, you must first defeat a person who is already infused with magic. After that person officially surrenders, you have to perform a very dangerous ritual, and cast out a lot of your blood...if the ritual is done wrong, you could end up losing your life. That's why it's usually called the Dark Arts."

There was a simultaneous gulp from the three observers.

"Any questions?" The magician asked pleasantly.

Mickey raised a hand. "Are you sure we should be performing such a deadly ritual?"

Goofy blinked, and then laughed a little, patting his thin belly. "A-huh-huh-hyuck...none of you are going to be getting any magic!"

The two younger ones gasped with confusion, while Pete stood up, clenching his fists. "You mean to tell us you wasted our time with this ridiculous lesson just to tell us you're not going to let us do nothin'!"

The wizard wagged his finger. "I didn't teach you this for you to learn it. We're going to face a heck of a lot more villains, and you need to understand your foe to truly defeat them."

Unsatisfied, Pete turned and headed for the door. "Bull honky. I'm Prince Pete, I have no enemies!"Before he could hear any rebuttals, he left the room.

Mickey and Donald stood up, but the former looked at his teacher. "You said we're going to face more villains...was that another flash of the future?"

He simply gave another grin. "Lesson's over! You two have a fun day!"

Donald rolled his eyes, and left with an amused Mickey. As they left, Goofy looked out to an open window. He closed his eyes, and focused...he began to see the glimpses...

...then he frowned.

"Well, shucks." He spoke to himself. "That's new."

* * *

"And after you're done getting the bath water, you can clean my room!"

Mickey sighed, walking across the long moat door. "Yes, Pete!" He called out, walking faster to avoid hearing any more of his demands. His loyal hound, Pluto, walked obediently by his side. The mouse , carrying a bucket, walked right into the town square, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the people all around him. He finally found the gigantic well,and began tying a piece of rope to his bucket.

"Pluto, I'm sick of obeying Pete's orders." He sighed again, dropping the bucket into the depths below. Pluto sat down, and seemed to nod with his master. "In fact, I'm tired of being a squire all together..." He leaned over, trying to see the water from above.

"I know I should be grateful...King Khan did adopt me from the orphanage. But he wouldn't even replace my sword after it turned into candy!" Which Pete had eaten anyway. "I want to be more than just a servant! I want to..."He paused, squeezing his hands as he thought. "I want to see what's out there...I want to help people...I want to be something more!" He smiled wide, recalling Goofy's words earlier. "Maybe I can be..."

Suddenly a loud THUNK from the bottom of the well. Startled, Mickey looked down again. "What the..." Pluto stood on his hind legs, trying to see the problem as well.

Before either one could get a clear look, something black grabbed Mickey by his collar,and yanked him down into the well!

Mickey screamed into the darkness, and Pluto howled in fright. Panicking, the dog began running around hysterically, trying to get the attention of the townspeople by barking frantically.

An old man and a little boy noticed the commotion, and the little one tugged on his father's belt. "Papa, someone grabbed that man into the well!"

The old man tsked, and dragged his son along. "Pinocchio, what have I told you about lying?"

Pluto, desperate, now began to run towards the castle. Maybe the townspeople wouldn't listen to him, but he had a good idea of who would.

* * *

There was good news when Mickey began to regain consciousness. Something smelled incredibly delicious. He opened his eyes, and felt his arms restrained with rope from the well. The feeling that came with that was of being very wet...he was shoulder deep in a pot of bubbling hot water in a wide, black cauldron.

The bad news was he figured out the delicious smell. Apparently he was quite yummy when boiled with chopped carrots.

"Ohhhhh boy." Mickey swallowed, looking around. The room was made out of solid stone, and many of these stones were dripping with water. He heard the sound of chopping, and turned to his left.

Outside of the pot, a young female duck was humming as she diced potatoes into the pot. Her feathers were in a modest ponytail, and the black robes she wore seemed to be three times her size, judging by how they were drooping off of her. She noticed his stare, and smiled. "Well, you're awake! Nice to meet you! My name's Daisy, what's yours?"

That threw Mickey for a loop. He'd never known a pleasant cannibal. Not that he'd ever known a cannibal, but... "Uh...I'm Mickey. Mickey Mouse."

"All right, Mickey! The pleasure's all mine." She then took out a wooden spoon, and began to stir the mixture.

The squire took a deep breath, unable to believe her cheery attitude, considering the circumstances. "So...Daisy...any reason I'm in a cauldron?"

Daisy raised her eyebrows. "Oh, that. I need to eat you. No offense."

There was a very, very long pause. "And...you have to eat me because...?"

She gasped. "Oh, did I not tell you?" She sighed, shaking her head, although giggling. "I can be such a dunce, big sorry about that." She withdrew a gigantic green book from her wide sleeves. "According to this book The Covenant gave me, if I can make a really good potion using a pure soul, I can get myself a really cute husband." She smiled at this, oblivious to Mickey's gaping mouth.

"S-so..." Mickey stammered. "You ate anyone else that fell in the well?"

Daisy blinked. "What? Oh, no. Those people were just clumsy. I just sent them off with a good forget-me-please spell." After putting the book down, she then held up a cabbage in one hand, and a radish in the other, looking perplexed as she did so. "Shoot. Now which one am I suppose to cut up?"

As Daisy tried to sort herself out, Mickey leaned back and thought. This was the second time The Covenant had been mentioned...he himself had never really heard too much. A group of rebellious women trying to overthrow the throne...it hadn't sounded too dangerous, but the mouse was beginning to suspect these weren't fairly tales anymore. Perhaps the new rumors were right...perhaps these women were the most powerful and deadliest force to ever strike England.

"Oooh, wait! Maybe it's asparagus!"

Mickey rolled his eyes. Then again, maybe they weren't.

* * *

Pete's snores could easily be heard throughout the entire castle. All that learning had done a number on his small brain, so he needed to rest. However, this small pleasure was interrupted when he heard a rambling of high-pitched barking. Startled, he fell out of his big bed, and landed face-down on the stone floor below. After the pain registered, he got up, snarling. "All right, who's the wise guy!"

He spotted a dash of yellow zooming by his door, and realized it was Mickey's hound, Pluto. He got up on his small legs, and began to chase after the canine. "You lousy little mutt!" he screamed. "You get back here so I can kick your little butt!"

Undeterred, Pluto kept barking and running, looking for a certain someone. Unfortunately, he ran right smack into Goofy, who had been carrying more books than he could count. As papers went everywhere, the frantic dog slipped and slided every which way, trying to get up. Goofy, now on his behind, blinked at all the commotion, and then grabbed Pluto by his shoulders. "Lemme guess. You wanna talk to Donald."

Pluto rapidly nodded, his panting making a "yeah-yeah-yeah" sound. Goofy then jabbed a thumb backwards. "Kitchen." He then released the dog, who rapidly ran off in that direction. The magician then stood up, seemingly forgetting all about his papers. "Come on, Pete, let's go."

Pete, who had finally caught up, crossed his arms in exhausted anger. "Go where?"

"The kitchen. Pluto looked mighty panicked." That was soon followed by a crash of pot and pans from said kitchen, and then that by loud screaming and anger by a familiar fowl. Goofy and Pete approached the wide kitchen doors, and poked their heads in.

Donald was covered in all sorts of foodstuffs, ranging from loaves of bread to sliced meats...most likely he'd been in the middle of making a sandwich, and Pluto had surprised him into tripping over various cooking supplies. "What's the big idea!" He snapped, glaring down at his supposed foe.

Pluto sat on his hind legs, barking furiously, and trying to motion with his hands what had happened.

Donald's anger vanished, replaced with shock. "Something grabbed Mickey and pulled him into the town well!"

Pete was tempted to make a Lassie joke, if he wasn't so stunned by Donald's easy translation. "You understand what that puppy says?"

"I AM the sable boy." Donald huffed. "But that's not important now!"

"Donald's right,we'd better hurry!" Goofy began to wave Pluto over. "We have to go save Mickey!"

"Have fun." Pete snorted, leaning against a wall. After receiving three sets of stares, he growled and went on. "What do I care if my Squire goes? I got plenty of servants to replace him." He then turned his head to a side, grumbling. "I never did like that mouse anyway."

"But Pete, Mickey saved our lives!" Donald objected, walking up to the royal. "If it wasn't for him, we would have been in that witch's belly!"

Pete snorted, and waved a dismissive hand. "I could have gotten out of that with my hands tied behind my back."

"Or your hands turned into chocolate?" Donald snapped, but a glare from Pete shut him up.

"You all listen up." Pete leered, narrowing his eyes. "My dad's gunna send me on a mission to retrieve that dumb sword really soon...once I get it, he's going to give me the kingdom! And once I'm sittin' on that throne, you're all OUT OF HERE!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, causing the others to back up rather quickly. "I don't need a disobedient dog, a stupid stable boy, a wacked-out wizard, and I certainly don't need that mangy, moronic, messed up MOUSE!"

The last word seemed to echo off of all the stone walls. Goofy nervously tugged at his collar, and then looked to Donald. "Well...one man less in a rescue team is still a rescue team!" With that, he began running as fast as he could, with Donald and Pluto at his heels.

Donald managed to catch up to Goofy's side. "What sword was he rambling about?"

"Don't worry, Donald, there's going to be a lot more explanin' done after this!"

* * *

They finally arrived at the large well. A few townsfolk were coming by, smelling a tasty aroma from deep inside. Donald peered inside, on his tippy toes. "I can't see anything!"

"I got an idea." Goofy said suddenly, smiling wide. "But you and Pluto will need these." He clapped his hands, and an umbrella appeared in both of his hands. He handed one to Donald and one to Pluto, both looking terribly confused. Goofy then rolled up his sleeves, spat on both of his hands, rubbed them together, wiggled his fingers, stuck out his tongue, shook his rump -

"Sometime today?" Donald asked, tapping his foot.

Goofy grinned, dropping the silly act. He then stuck two fingertips in the well, and waited.

After a minute, the ground slowly began to shake. At first it was unnoticeable, but it grew violent in a matter of seconds. There was a horrendous WHOOSH sound, and then a gigantic spout of water began to burst from the well! It reached up into the clouds, and then the water seemed to give up, falling down naturally and splashing most of the town, including the heroic trio. Th umbrellas hadn't done much good.

Then came two screams came from the sky. Goofy held out his arms, and right into them fell the tied up squire. Mickey blinked, still trying to register what had just happened. "Uh...hiya, Goofy." He nervously smiled.

The second screamed came from above Donald. Curious, Donald tossed the umbrella aside, and looked up. Rather by accident, the second body fell into his own arms. The wet witch flailed a little, scared out of her wits. "Who, what, when where, why!" She yelped, and then looked at her supposed savior. She blinked several times. "Oh."

"Oh?" Donald raised an eyebrow.

"Ooooh." She repeated, her voice and eyes becoming noticeably softer.

Donald gulped. "Uh-oh."

During that awkward conversation, Goofy managed to untie Mickey. The squire brushed himself off, and then looked at the ducks. "Okay, you! You said you were a member of The Covenant! Now that we've got you surrounded, you have to surrender!"

"A-huh." Daisy absently nodded, still staring at Donald. Suddenly realizing what the gaze was all about, the stable boy quickly dropped his capture. She didn't seem to mind landing on her behind, and quickly stood up to stare at him all over again.

Mickey looked to Goofy, who shrugged. The mouse tried to grab her attention with a slight cough. "So...uh...Daisy...how about instead of us throwing you into a dungeon or anything, you just tell us everything you know about The Covenant?"

Daisy finally looked over, looking a little devious. "Sure, I'll tell you guys anything..." She suddenly linked arms with Donald. "As long as he marries me!"

"WHAAAAAT!" Donald screeched, now desperately trying to snag his arm free. No success. "Now you wait just a darn - "

"Sure." said Mickey, looking terribly amused.

"No problem." Goofy nodded, and then pat Donald's head. "Congrats!"

"I AM NOT GOING TO MARRY - "

"All right, what do you want to know?" Daisy asked, clearly ignoring Donald's fury, along with the stares of all the wet townspeople.

"Actually, it's getting pretty late." Goofy looked up at the sky, which was beginning to show hues of purple and pink as the sun set. "We can ask you tomorrow...you can stay in Donald's room!"

Daisy squealed, and Donald screamed. The group headed back to the castle, but Pluto lagged a little. The hound had noticed something else had fallen out of the tower of water...the thick book of spells that belonged to Daisy. He sniffed it curiously, and managed to open it with one of his paws. On one paged, there were many strange drawings in black ink...around one drawing were words Pluto struggled to read...

**The most powerful spell The Covenant has ever come across, and only to be used in the most dire of situations. This summoning is dangerous, but will eliminate the strongest of enemies. Only one enemy of The Covenant has mastered such a spell, but he has long since vanished. When mastered correctly, this spell will bring forth - **

"Come on, Pluto!"

The dog jumped, and quickly turned around to follow his master. No one seemed to notice that he was a tad shaky...the illustration that came with that spell was something the hound never wanted to see again.

* * *

The following morning...

"Why do I have to wake him up?"

"Considering our size, it's all we're good for. Just go get it over with."

"But he nearly ate me last time!"

"FLIK!"

"Going, going!"

The blue ant quickly scurried out from a small space between two stones in the floor. He just hated being the King's personal alarm clock. Maybe h could invent a safer way to do this...he pushed such thoughts away for now, and managed to climb onto the bed. "Come on, your majesty." He grunted, and began to tug at the tiger's whiskers. No response. Flik frowned...usually a hard tug got the king up. He began pulling, but nothing.

A purple ant poked her head up from the small space below. "What's taking so long?"

"He's deep asleep!" Flik called back, but then paused, noticing something under the bedsheets. "Hey, Atta? Since when does the King sleep with a snake plush?"

Dumbfounded, Atta kicked in her small wings, and hovered up above the bed. She suddenly went pale as a ghost. "Flik...that's not a plush. And the king isn't sleeping."

**End of Chapter Three.**


	5. It's Off To Work We Go

_Ahhh,there's this cute cookie jar where I work, Homegoods, and it's of the 'original' Mickey Mose...it inspires me so, I hope no one buys it for a while XD_

So, yes, lots of dialouge again here...sorry,but hey, you wanna be confused later on?...Yes,hate me plz. And I detailed out their outfits because it's how I want you guys to envison them for the rest of the story. Goofy's was inspired by Fantasia, Mickey's by The Three Muskateers, (which partially inspired this story anyway plus I LOVE HATS WITH FEATHERS IN THEM), Donald and Daisys's are a twist on their original outfits, and Pete...I dunno,just made it up I guess XD

And you may recognize a song line in here...I want to see if I can incorperate loveable Disney songs as regular dialect. Such gooood music, all downloaded on this laptop,mwahaha.

So in this chapter, everything's explained, and maybe The Covenant's Queen has a few enimies on the inside too! You'll have to read and find out.

Oh, and I've got nothing aganist Eisner, he just popped into my head. All characters belong to Disney.And no, Pegasus doesn't have wings here.

* * *

Three days since the funeral of King Shere Khan...

The former ruler had been given a long, modest funeral, and there were thousands of attendees. However, as far as eulogies went, most people seemed to be clicking their heels in joy rather than sobbing openly. Not that they could be entirely blamed...in the years the tiger had taken the throne, he had raised taxes at least twenty times for no valid reasons, taken many a concubine, sent various people to the dungeons just for his amusement, spent more time making his castle look nice than the needs of the villagers...but if all the details of his crooked rule were written out, we wouldn't have time for the real story.

While the cause of death was easily determined, no one knew how the venomous snake had gotten into the castle. Pete, however, had his guesses...

"You lousy little witch!" The Prince snarled, holding his trusty blade right at Daisy's beak. "You killed my pa!"

With a terrified squeak, the former villain hid behind her reluctant husband. "I keep telling you, it wasn't me!" She protested. "I don't know how to send animal assassins, that's major league stuff!"

Unconvinced, Pete pointed his weapon closer. "And why should I trust you! You're a member of The Covenant!"

"Knock it off, Pete!" Mickey shouted, grabbing his superior by the elbow and trying to hold him back. "Daisy couldn't have done it, she's been with Donald 24/7!"

"I can vouch for that." The reluctant duck grumbled.

"You killed my pa!"

"No I didn't!"

"Leave her alone!"

"Is it too late to quit being the stable boy?"

A high pitched whistle broke through the argument. It echoed across the vast library, where our heroes had gathered to discuss what to do next. Standing around a table of wood, they stared at Goofy, who looked rather satisfied at what he'd just done. "The more time we spend arguin', the less time we have to find the next King of England!"

"I'm the next king." Pete snapped, but took a seat. "I don't care what The Covenant or some stupid sword says, that throne is mine!" He slammed a fist down on the table to add emphasis.

There was a groan from Donald as the others, save Goofy, began to sit. "My head's spinning...just who or what is The Covenant, and what's this about a sword?"

"I think we could all use a refresher course." Mickey added, nervously smiling.

Goofy smiled at his friend before looking at a shelf of books nearby. He inspected the area for a few moments before pulling out a thick, blue book. He then let it fall on the table, before flipping pages. "The two are actually connected." Goofy began to explain, stopping at a single page at last. It was beautifully designed in old text, and showed several memorable kings in England's history. "This whole thing started many, many, many, many, many, many - "

"GOOFY!"

"...Ah, whoops. Well, it was a long time ago, you get that. Our very first King was Michael Eisner. During the time he took the throne, there was chaos in the kingdom, because all sorts of women were being prosecuted, because people thought they were witches. Magic was still an unknown force back then, and it was scaring the living daylights out of anyone who used it. Soon people were just flying accusations at women they didn't even like, magic or not...the punishment was being burnt at the stake."

The magician licked his thumb, and flipped a page. "Eisner never spoke about these burnings, but a few years after he took the throne, his wife accused him of having a mistress...which was a pretty big deal back then. Things only got worse when these rumors not only appeared to be true, but this mystery woman was baring his child. In a public declaration, Eisner said he had been under a spell, and accused the woman of being a witch. She's not even named in this book...and no one really knows if she was a witch or not. As she was being burnt, however, she screamed from the top of her lungs..."

_"So you want to see if I am a real witch? Then let's see if my curse takes flight! Ninety-nine kings will pass on England's throne, but number one hundred shall be the very last, and this country will belong to those whom you fear!"_

Goofy then coughed a bit,and flicked the lump on his throat. "Dust. Sorry." If he noticed the gaping mouths and wide-eyed stares, he didn't respond it.

"Wait just a second." Donald interrupted, wiping a bead of sweat from his feathered forehead. "Wasn't Shere Khan the ninety-ninth king? Does this mean the curse is gunna' happen?"

Goofy pleasantly smiled again."Not exactly, fellas. After she was burnt to a crisp, King Eisner called upon the most powerful and wise magician of the time...his name was Yen Sid. Sid managed to create a mystical sword to defeat the curse. It was implanted in an anvil, which is still in Camelot, which aint that far from here. After the ninety-ninth king passed, this sword would be able to be pulled out, and whoever could accomplish this would be the next King, and would stop The Covenant...but he never fully explained it, because right after the sword was made, Yen Sid mysteriously disappeared."

Pete leaned back, glaring daggers at Daisy. "But I bet you know the next part of the story, witch." She stuck her tongue out at him as a rebuttal.

Goofy went on, ignoring the small spat. "After the unnamed mistress was killed, a group of women, both witches and regular mortals, banded together to honor her curse. But since no one's seen or heard from them since Eisner's reign, people began to believe they never existed in the first place. Now that the big 'one o o' is so close, it looks like they know it's the right time to attack. But the timing is worse for us...an eclipse is headin' our way."

"And...that's a problem?" Pete snorted in disbelief.

"The moon is a powerful magic enhancer...in a month's time, when that eclipse comes, anyone who has magic will be ten times more powerful. Now imagine a bunch of already strong witches, only now they've got the strength of hundreds!" Goofy wiggled his fingers to try and add to the drama. "

Mickey swallowed, and then turned to Daisy as well. "What can you tell us about The Covenant? It looks like we're going to need as much information as possible."

Daisy smiled at Mickey, glad he wasn't treating her as hostile as Pete. "No problem, Mic! Can I call you Mic? It's really such a cute - "

"Daaaaaaisy..."

"Oh, heehee. So...what I know..." She clicked her tongue for a few moments, trying to think of all the important details. "Well, I was still fairly new...heck, I just got my magic last month. Still got some kinks to work out...but, right, The Covenant. Here's what I do know, but it's only the basics...all Covenant members can talk to anything with wings. They rarely attack as a group, choosing to use single battles as a means of pride. Plus, our magic can be stopped temporarily if our arms are bound."

"You mean like when the magician here bound up fatty with that veggie?" Pete pointed out, raising his eyebrows.

"Exactly. And...uhhhh...oh, yes!" She snapped her fingers. "Our orders are given to us by The Queen."

Donald tilted his head quizzically. "The Queen?" He racked his head a little. "Oh, right...the throne...irony and all that."

"All right, I'm marrying a genius!" Daisy squealed, and poked her hubby in the cheek. After a glare from him, she just smiled and continued. "The Queen tells us who to attack, where to strike, when to do it, and so on and so forth. However, no one's actually seen her face or heard her voice...no one in the entire Covenant, not even her closest comrades, know who she really is. Yet she's the most powerful one of us all. You can just feel the magic vibrate off of her...she's always shrouded in darkness...we don't even know the fullest extent of her powers. She's the epitome of mystery."

Goofy suddenly slammed his book shut, causing everyone to jump. "So it's settled!"

Mickey blinked, waiting for the wizard to go on. "What's settled?"

As he began to place the book back, Goofy grinned. "Why, we're all going to Camelot!" he shoved the book in, and took out a new, thinner one. He plopped this one on the table, revealing a widespread map. "We'll probably meet plenty of those Covenant ladies, but we'll be sure to take 'em down. We have to find that King, before they do, and before England turns itself into chaos."

"Cut the dramatics, Goof." Pete snapped. "I know I'm the King, it couldn't possibly be anyone else. This'll be a snap." He counted his fingers. "I'll use twenty guards, thirty knights - "

"Uh, Pete..." Mickey cleared his throat. "We can't use any of that. You may be Khan's son, but you were never officially or legally declared the next ruler in line...so we're not allowed to use that many numbers..." Pete narrowed his eyes, and began leaning over Mickey dangerously. "...sir."

"An adventure!" Daisy squealed. "Oh, this is going to be so exciting! Oh, I'm so glad I pulled Mickey into the well and tried to eat him!"

Ignoring that awkward conversation, Donald sighed heavily and looked over the map. "If I have to be dragged into this..." He pointed to their current position on the map, and then dragged it along the map as he spoke. "We can head north to Sherwood, my Unca' Scrooge has an inn where we can stay for a few days. After that we head through the forest of Nottingham...then we head left for Blooming, and Hercule's Stadium after that...then, if we follow this course, we'll be right in the center of Camelot. This entire trip should take a little less than under a month."

Goofy nodded appreciatively. "I'll make sure to bring this map along...in fact, I'll grab all the books we'll need! Donald, you round up the horses. Daisy, grab the clothes and food we'll need, it's gunna be a while. Pete, you can get all the weapons you think are necessary, and Mickey can choose the right carriage. Be careful what you guys choose, we can't take too much or too fancy!" he then began waving his hands like a music conductor, and various books began to float out of their places from their shelves and swayed back and forth in the air. The others, after staring a little, separated to do their tasks.

* * *

"I think this'll do." The gentle maidens chorused together, spinning the metal wheels onto the fair contraption. The carriage could be fancier, but there was no position to complain right now. It could easily fit four people, and was laced with dark red and bright yellow designs. It only needed one horse to take it along, and looked rather sturdy. The first woman stood up, brushing red hair out of her face. "I wish we could give you a real carriage, squire. Don't you think so, Belle?"

Her sister smiled, putting her own brown hair into a ponytail. "I wish so too, but rules are rules...but I must say, I do envy you, squire!"

"Aw, shucks! Ariel, Belle, this is the best we could ever have!" The mouse chirped, watching them push it out into the sunlight. He quickly followed suit. Speaking of suit, he hoped he'd chosen the right outfit for this mission. He had donned bright red heavy robes, ending at his wrists and overlapping his ankles. Fortunately, his large yellow shoes would prevent him from tripping. Once he was outside with them, he tipped down his red hat, making sure the black feather sticking out of it was in place. However, what stuck out most was his bright smile.

Ariel giggled, slowly stopping the carriage. "You've been smiling all day...you must be really excited to go!"

The squire blushed a little, scratching the back of his head. "Ariel, you see right through me...I've always longed for a chance like this! I don't have to be just a squire! I can be...something more!" He clenched his hands, looking up to the sky. "I can help my country...I can help out so many people! I mean..." he looked to the girls. "I've often dreamed of a far off place...where a hero's welcome would be waiting for me!"

The girls giggled again, and Belle walked over to pat Mickey on the head. "If anyone deserves it, I know it's you. We'll all be rooting for you!"

"Hey, here comes everyone!" Ariel called out, pointing at the castle's open doors.

Pete grumbled out, still looking annoyed with the whole deal. His body was laced this way and that with purple cords and white laces, stretching the fabric to an insane degree with his girth. He adjusted his small yellow crown – he had to beat up three guards to get it back, hence why it was missing three jewels- and then nearly wobbled, as the combination of his sword and metal violet shield was almost too much for him. Clearly he'd only thought of arming himself.

Goofy was alongside him, nodding his head left and right as if hearing an imaginary tune. His clue coned hat nearly fell off, still baring that comical bent flip at the top. His own outfit hadn't changed...still long flowing blue robes, lighter than the ocean's hues and easily tripped over. He carried two large azure suitcases, one in each hand. Perhaps it was magic that kept the seams from bursting.

Skipping along merrily with this crew, Daisy hoisted a gigantic white sack over her shoulder. She had discarded her depressing, black witch clothes and opted for a sunny bright yellow dress that swayed this way and that. Green sandals were on her webbed feet, and a matching green bow was on the back of her head to support her feathery ponytail. She looked more like she was going on a picnic than a deadly mission.

The three approached the carriage,and began loading their things inside. Pete groaned, shoving his shield inside. "No fair, I wanted to use my solid gold carriage!"

"This is no time for fancy things, Pete!" Goofy hummed, and gently placed his bags inside. "As soon as Donald gets our horses, we have to make tracks!"

Mickey grinned to his friends, and then put two of his finger sin his mouth, allowing a loud note to sound. In mere seconds, a yellow flash ran out of the castle, and nearly tackled Mickey down,covering him in wet kisses. "Easy, Pluto!" Mickey laughed, easing his dog down. "You didn't think I'd leave with you, huh?"

"I'm just tingling with excitement!" Daisy squealed, tossing her sack inside without a second thought. "We're going to be real heroes...wait,where's my Donald?"

"I'm not 'your' Donald." A voice snapped nearby. The duck walked out, a light blue sailor's cap bobbing as he spoke. He wore a long-sleeved navy blue shirt, with many a bow up and down. "We're using three horses...Mikey and Pete each ride one, so they're not too strained, as they'll be back up horses if the carriage horse can't make it." Of the three horses at his side, he led a pleasant looking tanned one, and tied him with his reigns. "Spirit here will be the carriage horse. Pete and Mickey can choose their own."

Pete snorted. "They both look like rejects...but if I have to, this one looks stronger." He yanked on the reigns of a silver one. The horse twitched at the prospect of having to carry such a load.

"That's Altivo. So I guess Mickey has Pegasus." Donald handed over a pair of blue reigns to Mickey.

The squire smiled up at the white, blue-eyed beauty before him . "Hiya, Pegasus...ready to save England?" The horse seemed to smiled, and whinnied happily. Mickey managed to climb onto the saddle, while Pete nearly squished his own horse doing the same. Donald climbed onto the top of the carriage, and held Spirit's lines close.

Daisy blew a kiss to Donald, who ignored it, and then climbed inside, followed by Goofy. Once the doors shut, Donald flicked the reigns, and with a loud neigh, hooves began to clop, and horse and carriage moved.

"Move it!" Pete snapped, pulling on Altivo's reign. The horse gave him an annoyed look, but began to trot.

Mickey gently pet the blue hairs of Pegasus. "It's time...we're going to make names out of ourselves!" Pegasuses seemed to grin, and began to walk. Pluto yipped, and walked alongside.

Ariel and Belle looked at each other, nodded, and then looked at the moving carriage, waving their hands. "Farewell!" Belle called out. "We know you guys can do it!"

"It's all up to you!" Ariel added, just as loudly. Hearing those two ladies shout, people began to pour from the town...quietly at first, but suddenly their voices became audible. Certainly whoever was next in line couldn't be worse than Shere Khan, they reasoned. They raised their hands to clap, and began to shout praises and words of good luck. Pete swallowed it all up, believing it was all for him. Mickey stared at the crowds that were forming...he took a deep breath, but smiled. He knew he would do anything to deserve those cheers.

_"I have often dreamed of a far off place, where a hero's welcome would be waiting for me..."_

_

* * *

_

She studied the small object, doubtful, but it was the best she could do. She sighed, and dropped it into a small black sack, tying it up quickly. "That eclipse is comin' quick...I better go now." She walked out of her small home. "Camelot's going to take a while to reach...but there's no way I'm letting The Covenant rule England!" The cowbell around her neck clamored loudly as she spoke, and she proudly headed out.

Once again, she had no idea of being watched...the raven that had stood on her roof, had she looked, slowly melted into a tall figure with flowing clothing. "So all of these fools really think they can stop The Queen of The Covenant..." She murmured. "They'll have to wait in line. Once everything is set up in Camelot, I will be the ruler, and no hidden Queen is going to stop me!" She threw her head back into malicious laughter.

"Oooh, yes...it feels SO good to be bad."

**End of Chapter Four.**


	6. Skin Deep

_Wow,this was fast...I fell sick so I had time to write. Hope you don't mind what I do to Mulan. I'm surprised no one thought of the couple that's going to be presented...and I'll stop writing those 'mysterious cliffhangers',I know those are annoying, but I had to put this one as a warning that the squire shall soon eat his words XD  
_

_All characters belong to Disney...ooo, I can't wait to write this next chapter, heehee._

* * *

Four days later...

"Hey, Duck!" Pete snapped, looking behind him to the carriage. "Are you sure this is the right way? My rump's getting' sore!"

"I know it's close." Donald snapped back. "I've been there plenty of times. We'll see smoke coming out of his chimney soon enough." He squawked a little, as the carriage went over a few rocks and made the road a bit bumpy. "Yeah, we're definitely near...Unca' Scrooge is too cheap to pave down a real road."

Daisy poked her head, smiling wide. "What's my future in-law like?"

Donald rolled his eyes, but gave in. "He was one of the first ones to leave my hometown, Duckburg...he's always loved money, and so he built an inn up along here to scrap along more. He means well..." He shrugged. "He's just cheap. He'll do anything to save a dime."

Mickey laughed nervously. "Hope he doesn't mind the low money we have." A bark from Pluto got his attention, and the dog pointed forward. Mickey looked up, and gasped. "Hey, smoke, coming from a chimney! We're here!"

The two horses and carriage pulled up in front of a wide, wooden cabin..it seemed to house at least ten people, and appeared to be very modest. A raven-haired, wide-eyed woman who had been dusting the porch looked up, and blinked to see the new visitors. She put the broom away, and walked toward them. She studied each of them, but seeing Donald, her eyebrows raised with recognition. "Oh...are you Donald?"

The stable boy blinked down at her. "Who wants to know?"

She smiled. "My name is Mulan... I am one of your father's housekeepers. Please, let me help you with your horses."

Donald, puzzled, began to crawl down. Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto walked out of the carriage, and Mickey and Pete hopped off their horses. "Wow, this place is fancy if it's got servants." Daisy commented, linking arms with Donald.

He frowned, but for once not at her. "Unca' Scrooge always said he didn't need to waste money on stuff like that."

The troupe headed for the cabin, and Mickey swung the door open. As they entered, they spotted a small desk, and behind it, a figure had their back turned to them, muttering something. It was another duck, clearly. His tight trimmed clothing was dark blue, and a floppy top hat was propped on his head.

"Unca Scrooge!" Donald called out, surprisingly smiling for once.

The figure's head shot up, startled, and then turned around. There were small glasses propped upon his beak, and a few feathers stuck out from his cheeks. A blue pouch was in one hand, and a few gold coins in the other. It appeared he had been counting his money. He smiled as well, putting down down on the desk. "Well, as ah live and breathe! Donald, come give your Uncle a hug!" He walked around the desk, and squeezed Donald close. He then seemed to notice the others. "What's all this, then?"

Donald looked to his companions. "Everyone, this is my Unca' Scrooge McDuck. Unca', these are my friends."

"It's a pleasure, Mister Scrooge!" Mickey cheered, and shook Scrooge's hand. "My name's Mickey Mouse...this here is Goofy, Pete, Pluto, and - "

"And I'm Daisy!" The woman suddenly squealed, latching herself onto Donald's arm. "I'm his wife!"

Donald slapped a hand to his face. "Listen, toots, for the last time - "

"I guess quick matrimony runs in the family!"Scrooge interrupted, his belly heaving in laughter.

Donald tried to remove Daisy's arm. "Don't listen to her, she's - " He then paused, and looked to his Uncle. "Uh, what?"

Scrooge smiled pleasantly, and removed his hand from Mickey's shake. He held it up, and wiggled his feather fingers, a gold band around his ring finger.

"Well, shucks!" Goofy clapped his hands merrily. "Congratulations, Mister Scrooge!"

There was a loud throat clearing, and Goofy was shoved aside by an annoyed Pete. "Yeah yeah, good news for all. Can we get a darn room around here!"

Scrooge didn't seem to mind the attitude, and nodded. "No problem, laddie. Me girl Mulan will take your things soon...and don't you even think of paying me! Friends of mah nephew Donald are friends of mine, so this stay is free!" He then went under the desk to find a proper set of keys.

While the others seemed quite glad of this, Donald's bottom bill had hit the floor. "Muh...Muh..." He swallowed. "Married? You're getting' married? And...and you're hiring servants and letting us board for free!" He then went around the desk, shaking Scrooge vigorously. "Who are you and what have you done to my Unca Scrooge!"

Scrooge blinked at him, then rapped his nephew's head with two fingers. "That temper is going to be the end of you, Donald."

"I inherited it from you!" Donald snapped back. "This is a trick. A money scheme. No, no, you're under a magic spell!"

"Vat's all the trouble?"

Heads turned to the top of the nearby stairs. Yet another duck stood there, although radically different from the three already on scene. She had short black hair just touching her shoulders, shining with every movement. A long, ebony dress spilled onto the steps, with cross stitching across her chest.

Now if_ that_ didn't scream witch, Scrooge's next words did. "Magica! You didn't have to get up, buttercup!" He smiled at her admiringly, standing on the tips of his webbed feet.

She waved a dismissive hand, descending on the last stair. "It's no trouble, darlink. I may as well see what all the fuss is about, hmm?"

Scrooge walked over to her, took her hand, kissed it, and didn't stop kissing it. "No fuss at all, mah sweet little angel! Just mah nephew losing his cool again."

Donald's hand shot into the air. "Mind if me and my friend have a moment alone?" Without waiting for a response, he yanked the crew outside, and closed the door. He then faced them, panicked. "Was that as blatantly obvious to me as it was to the rest of you?"

"That your family has tons of ridiculous accents?" Pete pointed out.

Mickey rubbed his face, sighing. "I think what Donald is trying to say here is that Scrooge's wife may be a witch."

"MAY be?" Donald grabbed Mickey by the collar of his outfit. "Her name is MAGICA! She may as well be wearing a giant sign that says 'COVENANT MEMBER HERE!'"

"Easy there, Donald." Goofy gently tried to hold his friend's shoulders. "Not everyone who's a witch is a member of The Covenant."

"And she may not be a witch at all." Daisy added. Now the stares were to her. "...What? Who here honestly thinks she is really a witch?"

Four hands shot up.

Daisy pouted, and put her hands on her hips. "Okay, now seriously think about it. Who here really, really think she's a witch?"

A pause, but then the four same hands shot up.

Mickey finally managed to pry Donald's hands off. "We only need to stay a night or two...if she's really a good witch or a bad witch, we'll find out."

"Who cares?" Pete snorted. "I just wanna get some sleep. She can suck his blood for all I care."

"Well I do care!" Donald screeched, shaking his fists. "He's my Unca' Scrooge, I won't let this happen to him!"

"But Donald, look at him." Daisy said softly, opening the door just a smidgen. Inside, Magica was tickling Scrooge's chin, and the penny pincher seemed to be melting under her touch. "He looks so happy. Why can't you accept this for him?"

Donald stared hard at Daisy, perhaps the hardest and most angry he had seen she had declared to be his. She seemed to shrink back, and he took a deep breath. "I'm going to check on the horses." With that, he stomped off the porch, and walked around the cabin.

"D-Donald!" Daisy cried out, and went to reach for him...but Mickey lightly touched her shoulder. She turned to him, sniffling.

Mickey tried to rub her small forming tears away. "He's not mad at you, Daisy." He said calmly. "He just needs some time alone...someone he's known and cared for about a long time has suddenly taken a complete turn. He doesn't know how to react." He pulled back. "When something like that happens...when someone you know changes, even a little, you have to wonder if it was something you did...or, even worse, something you didn't do. If Scrooge really is in trouble, he may feel its his own fault for not visiting as much...but I suppose we'll find out soon enough." He gave a smile, and opened the door fully, and stepped inside.

Pete opened one of his hands and closed it in a rapid manner, imitating Mickey talking. "Yak yak yak...what is he, Shakespeare?"

* * *

Later on, as the sun set, the traveling troupe had set up their things in their various rooms. They where then invited to dine with Scrooge and Magica, much to Donald's distaste. They sat around a long, flat rectangular table, with Scrooge at the head. He raised a goblet, laughing hard. "A toast! To good friends, good family, and good women!"

"I'll drink to that." Pete snorted, following by a smelly belch.

"So. Magica, was it?" Donald growled evenly, his eyes on his supposed future Aunt.

She flipped a few hairs over her shoulder. "Magica De Spell, entirely, but yes, you're right."

Donald looked to his companions, staring at them and waving one of his hands in an 'Are you hearing this?' fashion. He then swallowed hard. "Okay...Magica...how did you have the pleasure of meeting my Unca' Scrooge?"

Magica picked up a spoon, studying her own face and continuing to primp her hair. "I asked to stay at his cabin. We hit it off." She said simply.

Scrooge sighed happily, after taking a sip from his chalice. "It was the most fantastic week of mah life."

Mickey blinked. "You've only known each other a week?"

"How romantic!" Daisy squealed.

"How pathetic." Donald muttered.

There was a small 'clink', as Mulan entered with many dishes. "Oh...sorry, I thought you all might be finished."

Magica put down her spoon impatiently. "Can't you do anything right?"

Mulan lowered her head, and began to back out of the room. "My apologies, Miss Spell. It won't happen again."

Scrooge rubbed the top of Magica's hand. "Should I replace her, mah lovely?"

The bride clicked her tongue. "Forget it, vat woman, she will soon learn her place." She resumed looking at herself, this time using the knife. "Mmmm, darlink, tell me how gorgeous I am."

"Nothin' would delight me more, me shinin' diamond!"

Mickey quietly ate, studying the two...

* * *

The moon was high and heavy,and most of the guests were asleep by the time Goofy had finished his meditation. He frowned, taking off his cone cap. Once again his glimpse into the future had been...unusual. Sure, he couldn't predict the exact pinpoint of when and where something would happen, but he saw the events none the less. However...something like this had never happened.

He laid down, trying to figure it out. Perhaps as little as a week ago, he easily saw these events clearly, right up until the sword was pulled out, and who had yanked it out. However, he no longer saw what happened to that person afterwards.

This was a first...the future was...unpredictable.

The magician smiled wide. Maybe it wasn't such bad news after all. What was life without a little excitement?

* * *

Elsewhere in the inn, someone else wasn't getting any sleep. Sitting up, the young squire rubbed one of his ears...so it wasn't his imagination, he thought. He slid out of bed, trying to tune into the sound. What was it? He headed for the window, and looked out. He was on the second floor, and could see someone on the ground, opposite Mulan's room...hitting the ground?...No, digging!

Mickey squinted his eyes, and then he realized who it was! Scrooge McDuck! He was holding a sack of money with one hand, and digging with the other. When the hole seemed to satisfy him, he tossed the sack inside,and began to bury it.

Mickey rubbed his chin, curious. After Scrooge was done, he rubbed his hands together in excitement, and headed back into the inn. "Something is going on..." The mouse murmured to himself. "Maybe Scrooge is still the greedy Uncle..."

"Are you sure it was around here?" Pete whispered, tip toeing sneakily with his traveling companions. "Maybe the night was playin' tricks on ya."

Mickey had woken the others, although he had been nice enough to wait until the sun had risen. He informed them what he saw, and although disbelieving, they had followed him.

"Wait, look." Goofy pointed out. "That patch of dirt looks uneven...must be what Mickey was talkin' about."

"Great, just great." Donald spat, tapping his foot impatiently. "Now she's turning my Unca' Scrooge insane!"

"YOU GET AWAY FROM ME MONEY!" came a loud scream, and the back of Pete's head was hit by a shovel. After the lummox howled in pain, he turned around to catch his attacker...which, of course was Scrooge. He managed to back away from Pete, but blinked at the group. "All of you? Oh, goodness...still so dark out, thought me eyes were goin'."

Pete growled, rubbing his sore head. "Apparently your marbles were goin' a long time ago."

Scrooge raised an eyebrow. "What're you getting at, sonny?"

Daisy stepped forward, but made sure not to become a new target by keeping close to Donald. "Mickey saw you burying your own money here, and...well...we got curious."

Scrooge frowned, but sighed. "Suppose it can't be helped. I'll let you all in on the little secret." He went to the patch of dirt, and began to dig. After a few moments, not one, but two sacks were revealed!

Goofy rubbed his eyes, making sure this was right "Huh? But Mickey said you only buried one!"

Scrooge grinned, picking up both sacks. "I'll admit, I'm not just marrying Magica 'cuz she's attractive. She told me this is sacred land, and if I bury a sack of gold coins in this spot, another one will join in come the morn'! I've been doin' this for a week, and now I'm twice as rich!"

While Mickey studied the bags with a frown, Donald suddenly hugged Scrooge from behind. "Thank goodness! You haven't changed at all! You're still obsessed with money!"

Scrooge looked at his nephew as if the boy had three heads. "Of course I still love money. I just have more to spare now. I can actually afford Mulan and to keep you here for free!" He took Donald's hands, and actually began to dance with him. "I get a beautiful bride, and all the money I'll ever want!"

Daisy smiled, and poked Donald in the shoulder. "Are you going to like her now, Donald?"

He didn't reply, but did grumble something along the lines of 'still dresses funny'.

Scrooge suddenly stopped the celebration. "Aye, speaking of Mulan...sorry to say she's leaving today."

Mickey, who had still been inspecting the bags, looked up. "Leaving? But why?"

"Lassie says her father's ill, and its time for her to go home." Scrooge frowned. "A real shame...she was a real sweetheart. Ah well, the less I have to pay something, the better."

"Aw, shucks." Goofy frowned. "We should at least say goodbye to her!"

"And ask for some ice." Pete added, still sore.

Scrooge smiled. "Magica's already helping packing her things, they're both in the stable...just a shame...nearly felt Mulan was me own daughter.." He shook his head, trying to get rid of the sentimentality. "You all give her well wishes, I'll add these beauties to their family!" He chuckled, tossing his sacks up and down.

Daisy linked arms with Donald, giggling high. "See? And you doubted true love. Maybe we can have a double wedding with those two!"

Mickey began walking. "Let's hold the weddings until the goodbyes are over."

* * *

Magica was leaning against a stable door, watching Mulan struggle onto a black and white horse. "Will you hurry up and go?" She snapped. "I have better things to do than watch you go giddy-yup."

"My apologies." Mulan sighed,but perked up when she saw the friendly visitors enter. "Good morning everyone...I am sorry to depart so soon."

"You just go take care of your Daddy!" Goofy ordered, wagging a finger. "You be a good girl now."

She chuckled, putting a hand to her lovely face. "I will, good sir...but could one of you help me grab my rucksack? It has all my things, and my hands are too tired from reining my horse..."she showed them her red palms to justify the story.

"Yeah, yeah." Pete grumbled, lifting up a soft velvet bag.

Suddenly, the stable doors slammed open, and a furious Scrooge screamed at the top of his heavy lungs, "SOMEONE TOOK ALL ME MONEY!"

Without hesitation, Donald pointed to Magica. "I knew it! You tricked him!"

Magica narrowed her eyes, and slapped Donald's accusing hand away. "How dare you! I did no such thing!"

Scrooge stormed over, breathing heavily. "How do I know it wasn't one of you scoundrels!"

Daisy gasped, stepping back. "It wasn't any of us sir!"

"It has to be someone!" Scrooge roared. "Someone broke through the lock of my money room, and every single sack that went through the sacred ground process is gone!"

Donald went right back to hissing at Magica. "You duped my Unca' into this!"

Magica leaned forward, growling. "I told you, such a thing was not my doing!"

Now during this entire visit, Pluto had been staying in th stable. Upon hearing all the noise, he yawned, and sat up, exhausted. He walked out from under a few bundles of hay, and blinked at the argument. He listened to both sides, and then sat up right, forming an idea. He then lifted his nose...something smelled, and it wasn't horse droppings. He put the nose to the ground, sniffing along, until he came to Pete.

Mickey noticed his small companion's movement, and smiled. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', Pluto?"

The dog happily nodded, and then began barking furiously.

Scrooge jumped, and then glared at Pluto. "Will someone get that mutt to shut up?"

Mickey held up a hand. "Everyone needs to calm down...the money is still here!" Various gasps filled the room, and then the squire looked to the horse rider. "Isn't that right...Mulan?"

Mulan paled, and quickly slid off of her horse. "You honestly think..."

"Oh, cut the act!" Mickey interrupted, and grabbed her hands. "These aren't from setting up your horse...they're from furiously trying to work with the lock to Scrooge's money room! In fact, that's why you're leaving today, so you can make a clean get-away!"

Mulan snatched her hands back, and then ran for the doors! Fortunately, Donald wasn't about to let an enemy of his Uncle get away, and tackled her down! He held her close, forcing her to kneel. "Oh no you don't!"

Scrooge faced the maiden, still raging. "Mulan! How could you! I gave you a good job, a home, and now you do this to me!"

Unable to meet his eyes, she lowered her head. "My father is ill...that part wasn't a lie. I needed the money, to afford his medicine. I know I can't ask for your forgiveness..."

Magica spat at the ground. "Ha! I knew she was no good."

"I wouldn't go calling the kettle black just yet." Mickey smirked. "Hey, Pete, put that bag down."

Confused, the giant did so, and opened it. "Yup...all the sacks inside."

"Didn't that feel awfully light, for being filled with sacks of gold?" Mickey looked carefully at Pete, while Magica gulped.

Pete scratched his head. "Hey, now you mention it, it didn't weigh much at all!"

Mickey took out one of the sacks, and opened it...out spilled many a leaf, all colors and hues.

Scrooge screeched in terror. "Me money! It's been turned into leaves!"

Mickey shook his head, tossing out sack after sack. "There never was any real money! My theory was right...and so was Donald's, in a way. Magica knew you'd never actually look in those sacks, because you hate spending your own money. She buried a fresh sack of leaves into the ground every time you put a gold one in...I bet she's secretly been storing away all the real gold until there's only one sack left, and that's where the money to pay Mulan's been going...and I also bet that's almost out." He dug in deeper, and then smiled, pulling one out. "This feels heavy...it's the real deal!"

Scrooge's jaw dropped, and then he turned to face his supposed bride. "Magica...how could you?"

Donald , holding onto Mulan with one hand and shaking his fist at Magica with the other. "I knew you were a witch!"

"Oh please." Magica crossed her arms. "I'm not a witch."

Donald's fist got slower. "But...but your hair...the clothes..."

"It's a fashion statement. Black is slimming."She twirled her hair around one finger.

Scrooge ran a hand down his face. "Sweet Sebastian, can I trust no one these days?" He took a deep sigh, and then pointed to Mulan. "You're staying until you can pay for yor father's medication, but I'm giving you a ten percent cut." He then pointed to Magica. "And you're going to help her, and pay me back for all the money you tricked me into thinking I had!"

Stunned, Donald ran to his relative, nearly smacking him down. "Aren't you going to send them to jail!"

"And waste me money on such a trip?" Scrooge scoffed. "Speaking of which, now that I've found out my finances aren't as high as they used to be, you all owe me a night's pay! Then get lost, all of you!" He grabbed a grateful Mulan by one arm and an annoyed Magica by the other, and began to drag them away.

Pete dropped the velvet rucksack. "I...have never been so confused in my whole life. Were either of them witches?" He said slowly, trying to catch up.

"There were no witches!" Daisy chuckled. "Maybe we should go before we get charged more." She began going off to find their horses and carriage.

As the others joined her, Donald sighed heavily. "What didn't he fire them, or kick them out, or anything?"

Goofy smiled, showing his classic big teeth. "Like I said, love's a magical emotion. He may look like he's angry, but some things, like a family, are more valuable than money." He then chuckled. "We'd better be careful of such an emotion!"

Mickey laughed alongside his friend. "I think love is the least of our worries, Goof!"

The magician looked down at his pal. "You don't think you'll find a gal?"

"Give me a break!" Pete guffawed, nearly spooking the horses. "Like any girl would fall for someone that small!"

Mickey sighed, pulling his hat down. "Besides that...I don't have time for love. I've got more things to worry about...I have to give all of myself to England, and protect this country. I can't have any distractions. No-siree, I'm pretty sure I'll never fall in love!"

* * *

At the exact same time, in an inn to the west, the innkeeper was counting the coins in his hand. He then grinned up, seeing his lovely house guest walk by. "Ha-cha-cha..."He cooed, and then stood up straight. "Leaving so early?"

She stopped at the doorway. "I'm afraid so...I have to go to Nottingham forest, right away. I hope I paid you all that was due, Mister Mortimer."

The lanky mouse tried to looked suave, running a hand along his smooth head. "No worries, doll! You sure you don't need a big, strong man to help you along?"

She looked back, with what one person might say was a cute smile, and the other might say was 'you wish' with lips. "No thanks. Have a nice day." She then fixed her petite bow, and made her way out.

**End Of Chapter Five.**


	7. Minnie's YooHoo

_This was way more fun to write than it should have been. I do so enjoy writing romance...there is tons of detail, because Mickey's never felt this way before. Not so much for Pete, because he's not as sentimental. Means more to Mick. _

The witch is Miss Finster from Recess...hey,it's disney! And I realized Altivo is not from disney, but I'm too lazy to go back and change it,and it's just one horse XD

_A thanks to my friend Angela, who helped me word this chapter right. Love you girl! And I'd also like to thank Elera, MTP, and Torn, who are excellent writers in their own right and have cheered me on. You guys rock! _

All characters belong to Disney.

* * *

Five days later... 

Mickey slowly slapped his jaw with his tongue, his eyelids fluttering before fully opening. He stretched his arms out, and yawned slowly...suddenly, he sat up, startled. "Wait a minute!" He yelped with realization. "I'm not on Pegasus!"

"Relax, Mickey!" Came the voice of his elder nearby. Goofy was sitting across from him. It appeared they were in, from the looks of things, the carriage. The magician leaned over and helped Mickey sit up straight. "You must have been awake too long keeping guard over us last night, 'cuz you dozed off on Pegasus an hour ago! Daisy's ridin' him now."

Mickey's cheeks tinted in embarrassment, and he rubbed the back of his head. "Aw, gosh...I'm sorry."

"It's okay, no one's perfect." Goofy leaned back. "Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride...we entered Nottingham Forest a few minutes ago."

"It's a little hard to relax, Goofy." Mickey sighed, leaning against a side of the carriage. He pushed aside the window curtains and gazed outside. "Our last adventure may have been witch-less, but the real ones could strike at any time...I just hope I can protect Pete."

Goofy tilted his head a bit. "You think Pete's the next king?"

Mickey closed his eyes, sighing again. "I don't like the idea of it, but I don't know who else it would be...besides, his father was King, even if Shere Khan wasn't blood royalty...King Disney gave him the throne, it meant something."

The wizard shrugged, and put his hat a little bit forward, looking ready to nap. "If life was that predictable, it wouldn't be as much fun."

Mickey opened one eye to look at his friend. "...Did you have a glimpse of the future, and know who's going to draw the sword?"

There was a pause of silence, which was quickly followed by snores from Goofy. Mickey chuckled a little...if Goofy did know, he wasn't going to tell anyone. Admirable, even if it was a little annoying. Mickey rested against the small wall, ready to join is pal in slumber...

...when he heard it.

Granted, he didn't know what 'it' was, exactly. It as soft, but quiet, easily able to be ignored. Yet something about it caught Mickey's attention. He sat up straight, eyes and ears open. The sound wasn't his imagination...he stuck his head outside the window. It was a little clearer, but only a bit more so. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it was mesmerizing the mouse. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but he had to find out what it was.

He suddenly opened the door of the carriage, and jumped out as it rolled along. They were on a dirty ill-paved road, surrounded by trees that block most of the sun's rays. The sound...it was coming from the left, a thick patch of the woods.

Startled, Donald looked down at the escaping passenger. "Mickey, what're you doing?" He asked, already angry.

Mickey ignored him, still concentrating on the sound. He then dashed off into the thicket, surprising all of his friends! Pete pulled his horse to stop, and shook his fist wildly. "Where do you think you're goin', Mouse!"

Pluto yipped, eager to join his master, and soon ran off after him into the darkness. Daisy looked over, concern etched onto her face. "What in the world...what do we do now?" Pegasus whinnied in additional worry.

Pete snarled, snapping the reigns on a struggling Altivo. "If he thinks he can just run away...then forget him! We don't need him!" He gave another snap to the reigns. "Keep going!"

The ducks looked to the forest, frowning. They didn't want to abandon Mickey, but what choice did they have?

Inside the carriage, the supposedly snoozing Goofy was smiling wide.

* * *

Mickey's steps soon slowed down...the crunching of leaves under his feet was blocking out the sound. Now it was more clear...he was definitely near the source. Light, airy, pleasant...he now tip-toed through the forest, closer and closer. It took him a minute, but then he realized these sounds were words! Yet not in a talking fashion...no, it was a song! One he had never heard of before, but the singer filled it with passion and life. 

The squire then spotted a few rays of light up in the distance, straight ahead. His careful steps led him to a large, thick tree...so, most likely, whoever was behind it was the amazing singer. It was only now he realized just how ridiculous he had been acting...he had just run away from his friends and superior, just for a song! He swallowed, imagining all their angry faces.

_I'll take one peek, and then run back as fast as I can, and apologize,_ or so he told himself. It was probably nothing impressive...a wandering minstrel, perhaps. Or even a small bird with the ability of speeched song. He leaned on the tips of his toes, and poked his head out to look at the singer.

The sun's few rays glimmered on this lone figure, who was sitting atop a rock the size of a rocking chair. It was a female, although the light air of the song had already told Mickey that. Yet...Mickey had met and known many a woman in his lifetime, and this one seemed...he didn't know how to describe it. She was unlike those other women. Better, even. It was if the creature before him was created above all other women, making her superior to all the rest.

She was a mouse, like him, but there was no chance of comparing him to her. Mickey had never seen such beautiful a mouse, but then again, he had only seen himself; and males were not truly marked as beautiful. She had majestic black hair that streamed down the back of her head,and curled up just before her shoulders. This same hair also supported curly bangs on her forehead,topped off with a blood red bow on the top of her head.

Such magnificent tailoring on her dress, the squire had noticed. It seemed to increase her loveliness, not that it needed increasing, but that was beside the point. It laced around her shoulders, and ended around her petite waist, with dozens of frills under a wide skirt,swaying with her moving legs which were slid in ruby slippers. Her delicate hands were gently holding a small robin, who also seemed entranced by such a melody. Her face was designed in the purest joy, as if her sole purpose in life was to fill the world with this sensational singing. Her eyes seemed to glimmer , watching the little feathered friend in her grasp. 

All concern over his friends, and Pete, were being washed away by this magnificent creature. It seemed has if nothing mattered but to watch this woman, which he felt he could easily do for hours. A smile crept onto his face, and maybe at another time he would have realized the ridiculous expression he was sporting, but that hardly seemed to matter right then and there. Was this moment even real, or part of some perfect dream? Oh, how he wished to never wake up! Even as he paid close attention, his mind wandered...what would it be like to hear her speak normally? Or to touch that soft skin? Or to gaze into those deep eyes?

SNAP!

Time seemed to freeze, save for the little robin fluttering away in an instant. Mickey, it seemed, had leaned in too close, and had put pressure on a weak stick that snapped loudly in half. The woman stared at him, eyes wide with startled fear. She held her hands close to herself, waiting for his first move. Even her tiny tail curled up to her, in a defensive manner.

She couldn't be scared of him! It nearly drove a dagger into him. He tried to think of something, anything, to comfort her and assure her he was no enemy. He opened his mouth, and struggled to speak...but what could he say? An introduction? A greeting? Oh, how foolish he must look, he told himself. He should say something, anything!

"...Socks!"

...Anything but that. He slapped a hand to his face in embarrassment. Where had that had even come from, anyway? He slowly pulled his hand away to watch her reaction.

To his relief, there was a smile, although a confused one, gracing her features. She appeared to be holding back a giggle at his awkward intro, putting a hand to her curved lips. She managed to calm herself, and put her hand down on her lap, and waited to hear more from him.

What to say now? At least it couldn't get more humiliating than 'socks'. Then he remembered...she had been singing! Why not give that a shot? He'd already lost his dignity, may as well risk nothing. He cleared his throat, and tried to remember a tune from his home kingdom...yes, a fairy tale from old times past. "Tale...t-tale..." He stammered, and tried to fully get it out. "Tale as old as time..." He finally pronounced, and tried to set the melody right. "True as it can be...Barely even friends...Then somebody bends, unexpectedly..."

"Just a little change..." She responded in time, presenting her smile once more. "Small, to say the least." She slowly slid off of her rock seat, and patted down her dress. "Both a little scared, neither one prepared..."

"Beauty and the Beast." He found the courage to step forward, and found his heart beating madly. "Ever just the same..." "Ever a surprise." She stepped forward as well, but one foot tipped forward, and she turned, her frills flying around her.

He nearly forgot the following words, so captivated by her dance. "Ever as before..."

She stopped the twirl, now closer to him, and smiled right at him. "Ever just as sure..."

Their eyes bore into each other, and for a wild moment, the squire believed they were as one, both of them singing the famous line together, their voices and hearts entwined together. "As the sun will rise..."

"WOOFWOOFWOOFWOOFWOOFWOOF!"

The frantic barking made both mice jumped, and they looked to where Mickey had entered, to see a panicked pooch run right for them! Pluto managed to skip to a tumbling halt before his master, and struggled to catch his breath.

Mickey swallowed, the embarrassment creeping back of leaving his companions. "Aw, gee, Pluto, I'm sorry..."

The dog wildly shook his head, as if to say such things didn't matter now. Sitting on his hind legs, he began moving his arms wildly, making wave motions, sticking out his tongue, pretending to cackle, rubbing his paws together diabolically, then making a circle, then more wave motions...in other words, to both mice, complete nonsense.

"What's he saying?" The female asked, looking curiously to her duet partner. He shrugged, having not a clue.

Suddenly, the leaves on the ground emitted a soft crackle, followed by a gentle kiss...Pluto shrieked with fright, and dove between his owner's legs, covering his head with his paws. The squire stared at him, and then chuckled. "Pluto, that's just a snake! They can be harmless, if you leave them alone!" he continued laughing, looking up...

...into the face of a gigantic cobra, who's head had to be three times as big as Pete's belly.

It's understandable that the female screamed. Mickey nearly copied her. Pluto howled in misery, and the three began backing up in fright. The snake simply crawled in closer, followed by a shriek of cackling laughter. It had come from the treetops, so the tree terrified heads looked up. Sitting on a tree branch was an incredibly old hag, with clusters of gray hair clinging to her pale head. Tiny brimmed glasses were on top of her long nose, and she seemed to posses sharp teeth which showed as she laughed. "I found you, you little hooligan!"

"Let me guess." Mickey replied, managing to build up a bit of bravado. "You're a member of The Covenant!"

"Well well, what you lack in height you make up for in brains!" The old woman sneered, crossing her chicken-thin arms. "We've been watching you and your little friends, and we're putting a stop to your little mission! If anyone's going to rule England, it's us!"

Mickey growled, holding up a balled fist. "I'd like to see you try!"

The witch pointed to the snake.

"...Oh. Right. You ARE trying. And very well, I might add."

The witch rolled her eyes. "Get those troublemakers!" she snapped, pointing a shaking finger at her enemies down below.

The snake hissed, and opened its gigantic jaws, ready for a bite. Mickey's femme friend screamed again, and all of his thoughts went to rescuing her. There was no way he'd let her get harmed because of him! He grabbed her hand, and began running off into the distance, Pluto following close behind. The snake bit into the ground, and then snarled with annoyance at its miss. It speedily slithered after its meal, as quick as any horse.

"W-What do we do!" The singer stammered, her hand clutching Mickey's.

"Just keep running!" He shouted back. He tried to think, and looked down at his arsenal.

Once again, Mickey did not have an arsenal.

_Oh, for the love of Walt! _

Fortunately, the mouse spotted a fallen tree decades old, with plenty of space underneath for hiding. He quickly shoved Minnie and Pluto inside before sliding in himself. Both clung to him in fear, although he found himself enjoying the female's clinging a little too much. From their hiding spot, they saw the snake dash by...how incredibly long it was! Possibly twenty carriages, from head to foot. Finally, the tail passed, following the lead.

The squire felt safe to release a breath, and hung his head, wondering how long they'd have to stay like this. He spotted his shoes, tied in perfect knots...and then it hit him!

He began to crawl out, but his female friend grabbed his arm. "What are you doing!" She whispered, trying to tug him back.

As flattered as he was, he gently eased himself free. "Do you trust me?"

They locked eyes once more, him watching her reaction as she studied him carefully. She swallowed, but slowly nodded. He gave her a smile of confidence, and then stepped out into the clearing. He sucked in a breath, and then yelled out to the heavens! "Hey, ugly! Are you looking for me?"

Surprised, the snake turned around, and hissed, seeing his foe. He turned around, and began zooming straight for the hero. The mouse grinned, and began to run, but not in a cowardly fashion. He zig-zagged through the woods, the snake persistent in following. Occasionally Mickey would head for a part of the elongated body, ducking or jumping over it, and the snake would still pursue him. The little came of cat and mouse, so to speak, continued for several long minutes, until the squire slowed down to the exact tree the old witch was under.

She looked down at him quizzically, as all he did was stop, and leaned against the tree in a relaxing fashion. The snake spotted him, and began to head right for him!

"Watch out!" The fair maiden screamed from her hiding place, and Pluto covered his eyes, unable to watch his friend's demise.

Mickey merely whistled, as if he didn't have a care in the world. The snake, still quickly speeding towards him, opened its jaws, showing its glistening fangs, and...

...was pulled back. It was only a few inches, but it made all the difference. Startled, the giant tried to move forward, but could not! It hissed in frustration, trying to snap at Mickey, but to no avail.

"What in the world is going on!" The witch hollered, spitting wildly in shock.

"Sorry, ma'am." Mickey grinned, and pointed to the distance of the woods. "You and your accomplices taking over the world...Knot happening." Indeed, the snake's body had been twisted into a hard knot, unable to untangle itself. In a rage, the witch stood up, baring her long-nails hands. "Why you little - "

Suddenly, the tree shook! Now caught off balance, the villain fell right out, and fell flat on her back in a painful crunch. Walking out from behind the tree was the large and in charge Pete, who had shook the tree in the first place. He placed a foot on the foe's back, ensuring her stay. He then glared down at Mickey, his face full of annoyance. "Don't go thinkin' I saved you! We spotted the snake, and figgured a Covenant member was nearby. You were lucky I got here in time."

Before Mickey could fire a rebuttal, he was lifted off the ground in an enthusiastic hug. It was Goofy, glad to see his friend unharmed. "Mickey! Are you okay, little buddy?"

The mouse laughed, glad to be among companions again. "I'm fine, Goofy!"

"You bad boy!" Came the concerned voice of Daisy, who walked into the scene, followed by Donald. "You had us all worried!"

As Goofy put down the small one, Mickey scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, guys...I promise, I won't do it again!" There was pleasant yipping, and soon Pluto rejoined his comrades, smiling proudly at his master. Also entered was the lovely figure who had started the entire shebang, smiling nervously. "I'm just glad to know that mess is over with."

She caught Pete's attention, and how. He looked her over, and, instead of needing the nearly two page description Mickey endured, simply summed her up in two words – good looking. He had watched his father woo many women, and figured he had inherited this trait. "It was nothing." He grinned, rubbing a few fingers along his chest to boost his ego. "Just the every day act of a Prince."

As Mickey shot an unappreciated look to his superior, the woman raised her eyebrows. "A Prince? Really?" "Prince Pete, at your service." He humbly bowed, and the witch moaned in pain from the shifted weight. "You happen to be in the presence of the next King of England."

She gave him a sweet smile, and put her hands together. "The honor is all mine, your majesty."

Goofy cleared his throat, and waved a hand, introducing himself and the others. "I'm Goofy! This here's Donald, and Daisy, and you've already met Mickey and Pluto!"

She nodded in response, and then, lightly grabbing the sides of her dress, gave a polite curtsy. "It's very nice to meet you all...I owe you my life."

"Enough about us!" Daisy waved a dismissive hand, and gingerly approached the courteous maiden. "Just who might who you be?"

"Oh, of course." She placed a hand to her heart in shock. "How rude of me. My name's Minerva...I was heading for Camelot, my home, and I suppose I got distracted."

"Why, we're headin' for Camelot too!" Goofy explained, slapping a hand to his knee. "You should come along with us!"

Minerva's eyes widened, and she toed the ground shyly. "Oh, I wouldn't want to be a bother..."

"No bother at all!" Both Pete and Mickey shouted enthusiastically. Surprised, they eyed each other, suddenly disliking the attention the other gave to the little miss.

"Great, now we're picking up hitchhikers." Donald muttered, but squawked and shut up as his lady stomped his foot.

"However, if you're going to come with us, we MUST do something about your name." Daisy ordered, playfully poking Minerva's nose.

The woman blinked, confused. "My name?"

Daisy nodded vigorously. "It's too long, and for old ladies...you need something short and sweet, like yourself!"She mulled about this for a minute, and then snapped her fingers. "Oh, I've got it! Minnie!"

The newly named blinked. "Minnie?" Yet she smiled.

"It's nice." said Mickey softly, nervously twiddling his thumbs. "I mean...if you like it..."

"And I do!" Minerva, now Minnie, giggled, holding her hands together. "It's cute! I've never had a nickname before!"

"So whaddya say, Minnie?" Goofy asked, smiling cheerfully. "You wanna join us, and head on to Camelot?"

She looked at all of them carefully, debating, and then held another happy face. "If you all insist!"

"I'll show you to the carriage!" Pete announced, roughly grabbing Minnie's small hand and more or less dragging her along. She stumbled along, but managed to find her footing.

As the others followed, Donald nudged Mickey in the ribs with his elbow. "So you abandon us for a pretty girl?"

Mickey's cheeks tinted with pink, and he cleared his throat before speaking. "N-no, no...I...well...I heard her sing, and...well..." he trailed off, knowing he sounded terribly foolish.

"Someone's got a sweetheart." Daisy giggled, elbowing his other rib.

"You've got it all wrong!" Mickey yelped, trying to get their limbs away. "She's not my...I wouldn't...it's just that..." He swallowed hard, trying to explain. Luckily for him, Pete and Minnie were too far away to hear any of this. "She's a nice girl, and I'm always glad to have new friends join us...but that's just it, nothing more."

The ducks looked at each other, and shook their heads.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Mickey pouted.

The ducks said nothing, and whistled as they walked faster to the carriage. The squire looked pleadingly to Pluto and Goofy, but both dogs just shrugged. He sighed, and looked ahead, to see the delicate Minnie climb into the carriage. He took a deep breath, and headed for his horse.

There was no way he would say he was in love.

**End Of Chapter Six.**


	8. Runaway Brawn

_Sorry for taking forever, but hey, work and school projects are no fun. At least I got it in before the end of the year. And yes, I stink at writing fight scenes. Hope you enjoy this latest adventure._

All characters belong to Disney.

* * *

Two days later...

"So this is the town of Blooming! Isn't it just romantic?"

As per the norm, Daisy's attempts at romance went ignored. However, this time it wasn't because Daisy was being horribly annoying. A little something had changed within the party, ever since they met their newest arrival.

Currently, Minerva – now dubbed 'Minnie' by her companions – was sitting in the carriage, along with Goofy and Daisy. Her story was plain and simple, unlike her beauty. She was on her way to see her mother, who was residing in Camelot. This was nothing but a hitchhiking ride.

Yet, try telling that to Mickey and Pete.

The former Prince , on top of his gray steed, was mouthing long speeches to memorize, in order to impress the damsel. Such a lovely lady deserved to be on his arm, he believed. What an excellent Queen she would make! After all, there was little doubt in his mind that he would not become king. In time, she would swoon over him, and become his. They'd marry, have little Pete-lings, and live happily ever after.

As for Mickey...it was a tad more complicated. He wasn't sure what he was feeling for Minnie. He enjoyed her presence, sure enough. Heck, he enjoyed everything about her, from her cute little bow down to her petite feet. It was just bizarre...how could merely looking at her feel him with such elation? Even now, he was taking glances at the carriage, hoping he could see her sensational smile.

Ye gods, what was wrong with him?

Inside the carriage, returning to the conversation, Minnie merely nodded at Daisy's observation, before looking to Goofy. "So...Merlin - "

"Goofy." he interrupted with a smile.

"Oh, yes, Goofy. I just want to see if I have this all correct." She looked outside of the carriage, to the left. "You're all bringing Prince Pete to Camelot to see if he is the next King of England."

"Yup!" The magician responded, giving a thumbs-up. "We're all here to help out Pete! And you too, I guess." He rubbed his chin. "Lesse...if what Donald said was right, we gotta pass through here and get to Hercule's Stadium, and then we'll be straight on through to Camelot!"

Minnie frowned, however, petting down her frilly dress a little. "It sounds dangerous...have women, like the one with the snake, always been attacking you?"

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about." Daisy replied, waving the matter away with her hand. "It's just The Covenant...they're nothing against this team."

"Oh, yes, that's right." Minnie slowly nodded. "You're a former member."

"Bingo." Daisy quipped, although she didn't remember when she had told Minnie such a fact. She dismissed it, and looked back outside. "We'll probably need to stay here for the night...an inn shouldn't be too far away. It's a busy place."

Blooming was a large town, circular in shape. It seemed as if everyone was moving, and nothing was standing still. All the residents seemed to be tall, and even the playing children created large shadows on the walls. The bustling town took no notice of the new tourists, too busy with their own lives.

Donald suddenly lifted his head up, and cupped a hand to his ear. "Hey...does anyone else hear that?"

Pete and Mickey, startled out of their daydreams, looked to the fowl. "I don't hear nothin, duck!" Pete snapped., angry that he was easily forgetting his monologues. "Don't you run off like the Mouse did!"

Ignoring the embarrassment that came of that, Mickey sat up straight, paying close attention. "...Actually, I hear something too." he finally said, looking quite curious. "I think it's trumpets!"

The wizard poked his head out of the carriage, hearing some of the fuss. "We ran into some puppets?"

"TRUMPETS." Donald quacked, glaring down at Goofy from atop the carriage. "We heard TRUMPETS. I think they're coming from the left..." With a snap of the reigns, he managed to make Spirit move in the direction of the loud instruments.

Right in the town square, which already stood out in the circle of a town, were four long poles, stuck right into the crevices of the stone that paved the ground. There were red strings connecting the poles, creating a bit of a box. Some people had actually paused in their schedule to see what this was all about...many of these were muscular men, bulky and intimidating. The strangest sight amongst these lanky men were the smallest creatures the heroes had yet come upon...two brown chipmunks, belting out ear-shattering tones from golden trumpets.

The carriage came to a slow stop, and the passengers stared in shock. Just what in the world was going on here?

Goofy swung open the carriage door, and instantly tripped, his face landing flat in a puddle. He then stood up, dusted himself off, and smiled, as if the painful accident had not just occurred, and as if water was not dripping off his face comically.

Mickey slid off of Pegasuses , and touched the carriage door, looking at the inhabitants inside. Seeing that Minnie would be next to walk out, he quickly took off his hat, and put it on the puddle. The female looked down, but gave him a smile, carefully stepping on the hat, and then walking onto dry ground. The final woman, Daisy, stood in the doorway of the carriage, smirking at Mickey. "Feeling chivalrous today, are we?"

With a bit of tint coming to his cheeks, Mickey quickly grabbed his feathered hat, and plopped it down on his head. He winced at the cold feeling, but nervously smiled anyway. "Well...she...uh...she is our guest." He stammered. "No reason for her to get her shoes dirty because of us."

Daisy gave a theatric roll of her eyes before leaving the carriage.

When the entire gang was assembled, this seemed to be satisfactory for the chipmunks, as their music, if you could call it that, stopped. To the left, the one with a red nose, stood up straight. "Welcome one and all, to Blooming's twenty-fourth annual Strong Man contest! I'm Dale, and this my brother Chip, and we'll be your hosts!"

"That's right!" The other squeaked, with noticeably smaller teeth and a black nose. "As always, the prize is one million pounds, and the title of the Strongest Man in Blooming!"

There were many murmurs among the crowd, now quite interested. Pete rubbed his hands together greedily, already imagining how he'd spend the riches. "This'll be easy as pie!" He boasted, to anyone that would listen. "My pa always said that I had too much muscle to have any brains!"

Donald frowned, although not from the obvious stupidity that was just shown. "It sounds too easy...there's always a catch."

As if hearing the duck's complaint, Dale spoke once more, gesturing to the ring. "After you sign up, the tournament will begin, and the finalist will have the honor with going against our reigning champion, Clayton!"

The chipmunks blew their trumpets again, as a well-dressed man entered the wrestling ring. Smoothing his small mustache a bit, he smiled at the crowd, soon after giving a bit of a bow. "It's my pleasure, boys. But as always, this victory isn't for me...it's for my children!" He waved a hand to the right of the ring, and three beings stepped out. The trio consisted of a a girl with ragged hair and curly lips, a taller boy with a thin face, that held a sneering expression, and a fat, round boy that was deathly pale with a haunting grin. "Lock, Shock, and Barrel...it's always for my adorable kids."

The trio burst into high-pitched fits of giggles, sending anyone near them quickly inching away. If they were adorable, what was Clayton's idea of ugly?

Chip waved his arms about, trying to recapture the crowd's attention. "Sign up right now, and the fights will begin at six o'clock tonight! Step right up, and take a chance!"

In a matter of seconds, the square became nearly deserted.

After watching a dust ball roll by, Goofy finally spoke up. "Gwarsh...looks like they're all afraid of Clayton."

"That scrawny guy?" Pete snorted, finding the idea laughable. "He wouldn't even be a challenge to me!"

Mickey shrugged. "We should probably go and find an inn...we don't need this to hold us back, I'm sure we can keep going on the money we have."

"That's too bad." Daisy chirped, calmly placing an arm around a startled Minnie. "Because, well, maybe it's just me, but this does seem like a good time to impress a nice girl..."

There seemed to be a long pause, as this single thought registered. In the next moment, Chip and Dale were nearly run over by the prince and the squire! After manging to slam in their brakes, Pete glared down at the frightened animals. "Sign me up! I'm going to win this, hands-down!"

Dale pointed to his brother. "Uh...y-you have to do it with Ch-Chip!" He shook, ready to run at a moment's notice.

Chip already had a scroll of paper out, along with a long quill pen. Mickey carefully took the quill, and scribbled his name down.

Pete stared at this, and then held his belly, roaring in laughter. "You're signing up, Mouse?" He guffawed, nearly in tears. "You're a pebble compared to me! You wouldn't last two seconds!"

The squire shot a glare up at his superior, ticked off. "Well...after some thinking...a little extra money wouldn't hurt..." He tried to regain his composure. "And if we're both entered, there's a bigger chance of us getting the pounds."

Pete shook his head, hastily grabbing the pen away from the smaller one. "If you want to embarrass yourself, it's no skin off my bones." He dabbled his name down nearly illegibly, and then took a step back.

"Hey, fellas." A smooth voice came from behind. "Mind if I take a swing?"

The heroes turned around to see the only challengers remaining. In Pete's direction was a gray bear with a light-toned belly. His muscle and fat ratio seemed to be evening out, and his arms swung about easily, as if he didn't have a care in the world. "Name's Baloo." He spoke again, lightly taking the quill. "Always cool to have some extra dough laying around...may as well give it a shot." He leaned down, and took his time signing in.

The second he was finished, the pen was snatched away by the second of the pair. This one, a human, was more muscular, and a bit handsomer, with his long black hair in a ponytail and a strapping young face that heightened his features. "Yes, yes, if you're quite finished, the real winner must put his name down." With an elegant grace, he began to write, pronouncing each letter. "G, A, S, T, O, N. That would be Gaston to all of you." He dropped the pen, and Dale tried to catch it. He went on, undeterred. "The most handsome, suave, and soon to be strongest man in all of Blooming. You can all ask for my autograph later."

Donald glanced to Daisy, whispering. "Never thought we'd meet a guy with an ego bigger than Pete."

Daisy nodded. "Meet Pete squared."

Clayton leaned against one of the poles, studying his future opponents. "This is going to be an interesting year...all right, come six o'clock, the first match will be between the cat and the bear."

Pete pointed directly at Clayton. "That's Prince Pete to you!" He then swiveled to Baloo. "And I'll try to go easy on you..."He smirked devilishly. "But no promises!"

"'S all right." Baloo smiled, scratching his tummy a tad. "Hope we have some fun."

Clayton stretched the ropes, stepping out. "Then after that, the mouse will fight Gaston."

Mickey looked up to the snob, and held out a hand. "Good luck to the both of us." He smiled, waiting for a handshake.

However, Gaston turned away, dusting his hands. "Luck? I do not NEED luck...I am Gaston! I'll try and hear your cries of mercy."

Clayton, now behind his children, finished his announcement. "The winners of those matches will fight each other, and the finalist there will face me. Now, if you excuse me, I need to go prepare for the match." He began to walk off, his children following.

"You'll win, Dad!" Lock cackled, wiggling her fingers.

"You always do!" Chorused Shock, snickering wildly.

"No matter what!" Giggled Barrel, stumbling about on his pudgy feet.

After the big exit, Chip tugged on Mickey's robes, trying to get his attention. "We have an exclusive inn where the fighters can stay until the matches. It's right this way!" he began to dash off, his brother quickly following. Fighters and friends alike followed, dreaming about the matches that would follow that evening.

* * *

With two hours until the first match, the participants, along with the non, made a modest meal, and trained for battle. While Pete, Baloo, and Gaston were lifting heavy objects in order to increase their muscle, Mickey was outside, running back and forth , from building to building, leaping from the edges of windowsills, and exercising all of his limbs and agility.

Stepping outside of the inn for a moment, Daisy put a hand to her beak, and called out. "Mickey! Soup's on!"

Leaping from the roof of the carriage, the squire landed before her, although wobbling a bit on his entrance. "W-Whoa..."He gathered his balance, and stood up. "Thanks, Daisy!"

She tilted her head, looking at him quizzically. "Mickey, what in the world have you been doing out here?"

He gave off a chuckle, holding his hands behind his back, and swaying on his heels with pride. "I hate to admit it, but Pete's right. I'm not the biggest or strongest fellow out there...but what I lack in size, I can make up for in speed!" He leaned from side to side, stretching out his legs. "They can't toss or hit what they can't catch."

With a giggle, Daisy gave her friend a thumbs up, and stepped aside to let him inside. "I know you've got as much chance as anyone else..." As he walked inside, she winked at him. "And here's hoping Minnie watches!"

Mickey paused in his stride, and turned around to look at her. "Are you still harping about that?"

"Harping's such a ugly word." Daisy stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "Accurate, but ugly."

The mouse gave a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples. "Listen, Daisy...I'll admit she's pretty. But that's about it." He turned away. "We barely know anything about her. For all we know, she could be nasty when she's alone...we're just dropping her off to her mother." He began walking away, looking for the dining room. "Sorry, but your theory's a real goose egg."

The former witch crossed her arms, watching Mickey walk away. "I'm a duck!" She snapped, unable to understand the metaphor. "Why must men be so stubborn?" She sighed out loud to no one, and decided to try and see what the female mouse thought. She searched around, and managed to find Minnie's room. She gave a few taps, changing her face of anger to one of sheer merriment. "Minnie, dear!" She cooed. "Dinner's ready!"

There was a pause, and then the door creaked open. The petite pretty stepped out, holding her own hands. "Thank you, Daisy."

The nosy one leaned in, ever curious. "Anyone in particular you want to sit next to?" She murmured, raising her eyebrows.

Minnie gave her a blank stare, trying to understand. She then gave off a small shrug. "It doesn't matter."

"Oh, come on!" the busybody demanded, her voice getting louder. "There has to be someone you'd prefer sitting next to!"

The newcomer slumped her shoulders, rather tired. "It really doesn't matter...besides, I don't want to get any real attachments." She stepped out into the hallway.

Watching her carefully, Daisy spoke again, intrigued. "What do you mean? Don't you like us?"

Oddly pained, Minnie looked at Daisy once more, with a weak smile. "I'm only here for a little while, and it's just to see my mother...once we get to Camelot, we'll go our own separate paths, and probably never see each other again. It'd be much more painful if we really liked each other..." With that settled, she too headed off to eat.

Flabbergasted, Daisy stared at her supposed friend as she left, putting her hands on her hips. "Oooooh..." She growled, grinding her upper and lower bill together. "That settles it. Mice are just dumb, period!" She then stuck out a finger, shaking it to the air as if disciplining an imaginary friend. "But don't you two worry!" She announced, knowing full well neither could hear her. "I'll make it my personal mission to make sure you fall madly in love, and live in romantic bliss, just like me and Donald!"

* * *

Donald looked up from his soup bowl, a bit jumpy. "Anyone else get a cold chill down their backs?"

The two mice raised their hands in unison.

* * *

The bells of Blooming rang in a nearly haunting manner, six times in loud choruses. The hour of the matches had begun! The town square in a town of circles was filled with an eager crowd, all attention focused on the red wrestling match. The two chipmunks raced to the middle, and blew their golden trumpets to ensure they would be heard. After their playing, Dale spoke up. "Welcome, once more, to Blooming's twenty-fourth annual Strong Man contest! As always, I'm Dale, and my brother Chip and I will be hosting this amazing event!"

"The rules are as follows." Chip added, taking a pause to clear his throat. "The fighters assigned must stay in the ring at all times. If you leave the ring, you are disqualified! These are matches of pure strength...no weapons are allowed! Otherwise, do whatever it takes to make your opponent leave the ring, or have him say Uncle! No time limits!"

"The rounds are as follows!" Dale continued, stepping forward and trying to capture more looks than his sibling. "Pete versus Baloo! And then, Mickey versus Gaston! The winners of those two face each other - "

"And THAT winner will face Clayton for the grand prize of one million pounds and the title of Strongest Man In Blooming!" Chip eagerly finished, smirking at his annoyed brother.

The crowd gave cheers, focusing in one a small spot, where Clayton stood proudly, feeling up his mustache in superiority. The trio of misfits was in front of him, giggling madly. They seemed to have their hands behind their back, but not in the innocent fashion Mickey had done before. Clayton stood up tall and proud, daring anyone to outmatch his pride. "This will be my sixth straight year of victory...I'd like to thank all my opponents who I've trampled up until now. I'll happily add these young fellows to that list...good luck to you all!"

There was another loud bang of cheers and jeers, and it took both chipmunks blasting their trumpets as shrieking volumes to get the audience settled. Once they had, they separated two different corners of the ring. In the upper left, Chip waved a hand about. "In this corner, the former prince of England, the cat who takes no spat, the man with a monster gut and bigger butt - "

"HEY!"

"...It's PETE!"

Stretching apart some of the long ropes, a vastly aggravated prince stepped inside, glaring at the small animal before, swelling up in his ego, taking in the hoots from the audience. He began to swing his fists around, stamp his feet, and look like a general idiot in his attempt to get more praise.

Dale, in the lower right corner, gave a small trumpet bleat, ready for his own announcement. "And in this corner, the big bad bear, the jazzing jungle man, the one and only hullabaloo, BALOO!"

The gray one easily swayed inside, chuckling as he heard all the various noises. He gave his sear a scratch, and flicked away a small bug, before giving a happy smile to those all around. While Pete gave off a foolish arrogant air, Baloo seemed like he didn't seem to care whether he would win or not.

The brothers then fled the ring, watching from the safety of outside the ring. "Aaaaaaaand..." they both squealed harmoniously, "FIGHT!"

With a gigantic roar, Pete ran forward with arms flailing, intending to squish Baloo flat as a pancake. The bear merely stood there, with his casual smile, but then stepped to his left. Pete, unable to stop, ran forward into the ropes, stretching them out, and then was sprung backwards, landing right on his behind. Comical laughter came about from the audience, infuriating the feline. He got up on his legs, and tried to swing punches at Baloo. The gray one merely swung back and forth from side to side, easily dodging all attacks.

"Come on, Pete!" Goofy called out, among the audience along with his companions. "Ya gotta calm down if you wanna win!"

"YOU SHUT YOUR TRAP, GOOF!" Pete snarled, shaking a fist at the magician. He then returned to the losing battle, hissing as he was unable to even touch his foe. As each attack failed, he began to grow exhausted, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.

In the crowd, Mickey rubbed his chin, studying the fight. However, he caught something out of the corner of his eye...Clayton too was memorizing the battle, but his children were huddled together, whispering to one another. The girl, Lock, began to nod, and tapped the pudgy one, Barrel, on his shoulder. The three then faced forward toward the fight...but Barrel was wearing a mask, making his face look like a skeleton.

"What an odd time to play dress up..." Mickey murmured, trying to concentrate back on the arena. He then shook his head, doing a double take...Pete was landing punches on Baloo! When had that happened?!

"Take that!" The former Prince mocked, hammering over and over into his opponent. "And this, and some of that!"

The bear flailed slightly, his back bending behind, but his legs wouldn't move. "Hey, man, what's with my feet?" He tried to hold his head, reeling in pain. "Feels like I've got steel wrapped around my ankles..."

"That's the power of the PRINCE PETE PUNCH!" The black cat roared, sending both of his fists zooming forward, in a double whammy right to Baloo's nose!

The bear roared in agony, holding his face. "OKAY! Uncle, Uncle! I give, man!"

Chip and Dale hopped right back into the arena, tooting their horns three times before Chip spoke once more. "Baloo has surrendered! The winner is Pete, and he will move on to the semi-finals!"

Pete flexed slightly before stepping out of the ring, absorbing all the cheers from the crowd. He looked down at Minnie, and squeezed his arm to show off a bicep. "And that was me going EASY." He smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Minnie looked him up and down, seeing him sag out of breath, and wrinkled her nose in the stench of his dripping sweat. "...I'm sure you were."

Baloo had to literally be dragged off of the stage, groaning something or other about his legs. The triplets cackled, now all faces bare once more. The chipmunks blew once more, and then retreated to their corners for the next match.

"In this corner!" Chip whistled, trying to get the crowd to settle and listen. "His name is his claim to fame, he's the hunter who just can't get caught, he never misses the mark even on your heart...GASTON!"

The well-toned egomaniac stepped into the ring, waving his hands to his supposed admirers. He then began blowing kisses, trying to entice more cries of praise. "That's it, keep it coming!" He hollered, smiling and showing off his pure white teeth.

Fortunately for Dale, it only took one blow of his horn for that mess to die down. "And in this corner, that little louse of a mouse, the zero who can become a hero, that squire who's not for hire...MICKEY MOUSE!"

"Go get 'em, Mick!" Goofy whistled, helping shove his tiny friend into the square. Donald gave a thumbs up, and Daisy tried to encourage Minnie to cheer loudly for their friend.

Embarrassed, Mickey stepped into the ring, unused to all the happy and urging shouts from all around. "...Oh boy..." He gave a timid wave behind him, thanking his companions.

The chipmunks jumped out of the square, but not before shouting "FIGHT!"

Gaston began stomping over to Mickey, putting his hands on his hips and looking down at him. "Well now...why don't we just save our time? Cry Uncle, and you won't have to suffer too much humiliation."

Mickey frowned, tipping his hat up so he could look up at his enemy. "You know, if you don't have something nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all."

The bigger man rolled his eyes, sighing heavily. "If you insist on losing your dignity..." he then made a grab for the mouse, who quickly darted out of the way. With a growl, the human tried to kick the moving rodent, but Mickey easily darted out of the way, using speed to his advantage. Going quick then Gaston had anticipated, he actually wound up behind the taller one, and gave him a swift kick to the rear.

"Way to go, Mickey!" Donald hooted, clapping his hands up high.

Minnie slowly nodded in agreement, looking a little surprised. "...He really is fast." she murmured, watching him duck and run between Gaston's legs. "He might stand a chance at winning."

"HA!"Pete snorted, rubbing his nose. "Even if that squirt did make it past here, I'd easily clobber him in the next round!"

Back in the arena, things took a sour twist. Mickey had concentrated on running...but not on stopping. This explained why he ran smack into one of the large red poles. "OW!"He sat on his behind,rubbing his forehead. "That smarts..."

Gaston grinned,leaning down and yanking the small curly tail that belong to the mouse. As the squire yelped in surprise, the hunter held his prize in the air, freshly caught. "Behold! 'Weakus Rodentius'!"He mocked.

Mickey groaned, feeling blood rush to his head, being upside down as he was. He tried to straighten his vision...and the first thing he saw again was the children. This time, it was Shock wearing a mask, painted to appear as if he were a devil...

...Suddenly, Gaston cried out, and staggered back in shock. "M-my eyes!" he shrieked, stepping backwards. "What...I can't see! I CAN'T SEE!" In his moment of fright, he dropped the squire right on his head. The young one sat up, trying to see Gaston's plight...but his eyes looked fine!

"What happened to my beautiful, dashing eyes?!" The hunter continued to wail, continuing to step back in horror. "I can't see! SOMEONE HELP ME!" He screamed, his back hitting the ropes. "MOMMY!" With one more step, he yelled in terror, and fell over and out of the ring.

The chipmunks looked at each other, shrugged, blew their horns, and announced once more. "By default, the winner is Mickey Mouse, and he will face Pete in the semi-finals!"

Pete grinned, climbing into the ring once more. He made sure to glance at Minnie as he did this, grinning wildly. "This one's for you, babe!"

Minnie laughed nervously, tugging at the collar of her dress, and then leaned sideways towards Daisy. "Does he do this to you?"

Daisy gagged. "No, thank goodness."

Mickey, however, wasn't paying attention to the furor around him...he was staring right at the children. The strange afflictions with the warriors had begun when the masks came on...something was terribly amiss here...he was shoved out of his thoughts when Pete cleared his throat rather loudly. He slowly turned around to meet his superior.

"Prince or not, you still belong to me." The cat snarled dangerously, leaning down. "Which means you still have to obey my orders...and right now, I order you to surrender."

Mickey's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "...Surrender?...But...Pete...can't we at least have a fair - "

"You heard me!"Pete roared, shaking a fist at the inferior whelp.

Mickey shrunk back a little, and looked to his friends. They too shared looks of unhappiness, having anticipated this battle. He sighed, looking back at his owner. "...Yes, Pete..."

"Now hold on just a moment!"

Gasps were flung around the scene, as Clayton stretched the ropes, and entered the ring. "Just an outfight surrender is no fun at all!" he wagged a finger at Pete, but looked quite excited. "How about we spice things up...the both of you, against me!"

The cat and the mouse stared at the suggestion, and then Mickey looked to the chipmunks. "...Can we do that?"

"I don't know..." Chip rubbed his chin, giving it some thought.

"Let him do it!" Shock suddenly shrieked, slamming a fist onto the arena. "Our dad can beat an entire army, he can beat these chumps!"

"Well boys?" Clayton smirked, narrowing his eyes. "Feel up to the challenge?"

"This sounds like fun!" Dale shouted, waving a fist about. "Let's do it, right here and now!"

Chip groaned, but shrugged. "Oh, all right...Ladies and Gentlemen!" he announced. "We've reached the finals! The two man team of Pete and Mickey, versus our reigning champion, Clayton!" He took a deep breath, and with Dale, yelled at the top of his lungs, "FIGHT!"

Without any warning to Mickey, Pete rushed forward, trying to drive both of his fists into Clayton's chest. Clayton met this challenge, holding up his own hands, and slamming them into Pete's! The two heavy hitters trying to shove the other one back, growling in frustration.

Mickey quickly thought of a battle strategy, and tried to run forward...but his legs wouldn't move! He looked down at his feet, and while they looked fine, his hips down refused to budge! "H-Hey!" He cried out, slowly putting the pieces together. "This...this is what Baloo was taking about!" To confirm his suspicions, he looked at the children...Barrel was wearing his mask! To make matters worse, Shock was putting his on as well! Mickey waved his arms up and down, trying to catch attention. "Pete! Pete, the kids!"

It was too late, as Pete suddenly cried out in horror. "My eyes!"He stumbled back, and Clayton easily shoved him down. "What's the gag...I can't see!"

Clayton smirked, giving Pete a small kick. "Ready to cry Uncle?"

"NEVER!"Pete snarled, trying to find his footing...and failed, falling again. "SOMEONE TURN MY EYES ON!"

Mickey was yanking on his right leg, trying to get some movement, but nothing came of it. He tried to look at the children, shaking a fist at them. "You three! Stop it, you're cheating!"

Ignoring him, and adding to Mickey's horror, Lock was putting on her own mask...made her features sagged and more hideous...it made the mouse's eyes widen. It was a WITCH mask!

Upon that newly donned mask, Clayton's muscles seemed to bulge, but he had taken no notice. He leaned down, and easily lifted Pete up over his head! "Alley oop!" He laughed, and threw the humongous oaf right into the crowd, where he flattened about sixteen fans. As Pete groaned in pain, Clayton began making his way towards Mickey, rubbing his hands together deviously.

Mickey gulped, and tried pointing to the triplets. "W-wait a minute! Your kids, your kids are cheating!" He stammered.

Clayton placed a hand on the top of Mickey's head. "What in the world do my little angels have to do with any of this?"

"They've been CHEATING!" Mickey shouted, exasperated. "Whenever the wear the skeleton mask, legs turn into lead, like mine! And...and when they wear the devil mask, eyes can't see! And I think that witch mask makes you super strong!"

"Now that's just ridiculous." Clayton began to lift Mickey up with ease, just with that one hand. "Like I need their help in order to win! I'm the reigning champion!"

The crowd murmured, talking about the strange conversation going on. Goofy, cheery as ever, bent over to the children. "Well, I dunno if yer cheating or not, but those are some real nice masks! Can I try one on?"

"NO!" All three of them shrieked, but the magician easily plucked off the skeleton mask. In that instant, Mickey stumbled, his legs unused to the weight shift. However, he managed to catch his footing, and glared up at Clayton.

"Are you quite done harassing my children?" Clayton snapped, cracking his knuckles and looking quite dangerous. Mickey paled...wrong mask. Clayton made a grab for for the mouse, but the little squire ran away...now rather frantic.

"The WITCH mask!" Mickey shrieked, trying to avoid the musclebound foe. "Witch! Witch! WITCHWITCHWITCHWITCHWITCH!" Unfortunately, it was too late to follow up on that order, as the champion copied Gaston's move, yanking Mickey by his tail. Showing no mercy, he twirled the rodent in the air, around and around, until there was a black blur above his hand. He then let go, and the mouse sailed into the crowd...knocking right into the triplets. The masks flew off, including the very important witch one...Clayton's muscles sucked back into their regular shape, but it seemed he was the only one who took notice.

"Mickey!" His friends cried out, and rushed to his aide. The crowd gaped and murmured, stunned by the fight and transformations. The triplets , after getting up from being bowled over, crawled into the ring,lest they be trampled.

Minnie gently sat Mickey up, as his head tilted left to right, back and forth, rather dizzy. "Mickey!" She held his shoulders, trying to steady him. "Oh, Mickey, are you all right?"

Mickey shook his head, trying to straighten his vision...he blinked, hard, to see the lovely maiden's face in such a state of panic. It made his heart stop...so she really was more than just looks. She cared about others. Cared about him, more importantly. He swallowed, and tried to stand up, rejecting her help. "...Uh...y-yeah...just dandy..." He laughed nervously, trying to fight off any signs of a blush.

Fortunately the awkward encounter was interrupted, by Clayton's cruel laughter. "Once again, I am the reigning champion! I'll take my money now..."

"Now hold on just one second!" Donald snapped, pointing a finger to the ring. "Are you blind? You just went from skinny to macho in the snap of a finger! Those masks are magical objects!"

Clayton rolled his eyes. "Oh please, I'm sure you were just imagining things..."

"No, he's right!" Dale called out, and then was accompanied by his brother. "We all saw it!" Soon the crowd turned into an uproar, joining in that they too had seen the startling change. Clayton and the kids began to back up...

Even though he was having a hurricane of a headache, Mickey managed to crawl back into the ring, although his movements were wobbly. "This had to be the first time you were cheating, though..." He spoke up, and the audience grew quiet. "Otherwise, such a transformation would have been noticed all those other years." His eyes fell on the children. "Where did you get those masks?"

"Nowhere." Lock snapped, looking away.

"None of your business." Shock added, sticking out his tongue.

"Big lady in purple and black." Barrel piped up, but was smacked over the head by his siblings.

"You dummy! You weren't supposed to tell!" The boy and girl screamed, ready to tear the fat one apart, but Clayton stooped down, picking Lock and Shock up by the collars of their shirts.

"I want explanations." he growled, his hangs clenching very tightly. "NOW!"

Barrel shyly looked up, toeing the floor. "...Well, dad...lately, we've seen you getting gray hairs...getting tired over big jobs...you looked like you were getting too old to win. One day, we were playing in the woods, and this lady draped in black and purple came up and gave us these masks...she said they'd help you win."

Clayton growled, and dropped the other two, who landed with an 'eek' and an 'ow'. "Did you think I would approve of this? I don't care if I turn eighty and need a cane...the best victories come from the fair ones!"

While the children pleaded apologies, Pete finally regained consciousness, sitting up. "Ow..."He rubbed his head. "...What happened? Did I win?"

"On the contrary." Chip squeaked, he and his brother reentering the ring. "You and Squire Mickey were tossed out of the ring...and Clayton cheated...so you all lost. There's no winner this year!"

Disappointed grumbles came all around, and the audience began to depart. The heroic gang came together once more, tending to Pete and Mickey's slight injuries.

"This is terrible." Daisy frowned, looking over Mickey's shoulder. "I know I used to be a member and all...but I can't believe The Covenant would go as low as to trick children!"

"Brainwash 'em young, keep 'em for life." Donald grumbled, shaking his head in disapproval. "Seems like they really are trying to set England up for their rule." He then looked to the feathered female. "They said something about a woman in purple and black robes...ringing any bells?"

Daisy cupped her chin, and tried to think. "...Well, hard to say...our fashion usually doesn't go much beyond that."

"I think we're all missing a big point here!" Pete suddenly snarled, glaring down at all his companions. "Wherever we go, one of those witches shows up..before we're there, even!" he then leaned down dangerously near Daisy. "Are you sure you aint still working for them?"

Daisy yelped, and hid behind Donald. "I'm not! I havn't even used my magic since I met all of you, there's no way they could trace me!"

"Either way, looks like we'd best be goin'." Goofy added with a chirp, beginning to walk away. "Next stop is Hercules' Stadium...maybe if we're lucky, we can beat the witches there!"

The companions began to follow him, going over the day's events in their minds. How were the witches following them? What would these women do in order to claim England?

Yet one question rang in two heads that suddenly seemed more important than the previous ones...

_Am I in love?_

**End Of Chapter Five.**


	9. Make A Man Out Of You

_OH GOOD LORD FINALLY. _

Summary - Mickey meets a hero-in-training, but can he and Pete become real heros to save the day?

Hades is the dad, by the way. I didn't divide into multiple movies this time, because (despite its inaccuracies) I really love the Hercules movie. Hope you enjoy.

All characters belong to Disney.

* * *

Three days later... 

"A little unusual, don't you think?"

Back into the woods, the heroes were heading for the city that held Hercule's stadium. It was famous for having dozens of homes, theaters, farms, so on and so forth, but to Minnie's confusion just shown, the town was not given a real name...instead, it was named after a stadium.

"This Hercules must be some guy." Daisy nodded in agreement, looking the map over. As per the norm now, she was in the carriage with Minnie and Goofy. "Maybe this guy should be king."

"Isn't Pete supposed to be next in line?" Minnie asked, pointing out the window to the prince.

"Minnie, dear, if he ever becomes king, I am fleeing the country." Her friend replied drolly, rolling her eyes. "Now, if you ask me..." She suddenly smiled. "I think Mickey would make a great king."

"Me too!" Goofy chimed in, giving a thumbs up. "He's all nice and smart. But, hey, everybody's got a chance."

"I doubt Mickey's...king material." Minnie said softly, leaning back into her seat. "Besides, whoever becomes king would become the ultimate target by The Covenant. I'd hate to see that happen to Mickey."

Daisy leaned in sideways towards the mouse, and lightly poked her arm. "Awww, aren't you sweet." She cooed.

Despite a tint of pink coming on her muzzle, Minnie managed to glare at the poker. "Not like THAT."

Goofy scratched his head, already lost. "Not like what?"

Before anyone could answer his obvious question, a loud screech came from the shadows of the trees! The horses whinnied in fright, kicking up their legs...and soon the riders joined their fear, as a giant behemoth stepped into the daylight...a large hog, it appeared, brown and black in color, it's tusks gleaming in the sun. It scuffed the ground with one hoof, and then let loose an angry bellow deep from its throat. It's glaring eyes bore straight into the heroes and horses.

"...Nice piggy?" Donald squeaked out, timidly waving his fingers.

The eyes seemed to widen, and its next roar seemed to be louder than the last. It backed up a few feet, but then began full on charging straight ahead!

"I don't think it likes being called a pig." Mickey quipped, frozen with fear.

"I don't like being called 'dead meat' either, so let's RUN!" Pete screamed, yanking on his reigns to try and steer his steed away, but Altivo was wrestling with the weight he had to carry. The carriage couldn't be backed up, and Pegasus, much like his rider,was too afraid to move an inch, with Pluto cowering between his legs. Donald shrieked, and hid behind his hands, unable to face the goring that would come...

"HERO-IN-TRAINING, COMING YOUR WAY!"

From the trees, a young man jumped on the top of the carriage, right behind Donald. His curly orange hair enhanced his crystal blue eyes, and his tight armor only seemed to prove that this was a noble man. He tossed his blue cape behind him, and then leaped forward, arms outstretched, landing right on the hog's snout. The boar wildly shook his head, trying to shake the brave one off, but it did no good. With a grunt, the warrior climbed over the beastly face, until he was sitting on its shoulders. With a proud smile, he leaned over, and began to scratch the monster's left ear. "Who's a good warthog?" He murmured. "Pumba's a good warthog..."

With a drowsy smile, the beast began to lay down, closing its eyes and waving its small tail. Dusting off his hands, he slid off and stood on the ground. He smiled at the stunned group, cheerful as ever. "You folks okay?"

"That depends." Donald opened one eye, but still had his face covered with his hands. "Is it safe to look?"

"That was amazing!" Mickey interrupted, jumping from his horse and running up to the fighter. He beamed up at him in wonder. "We can't thank you enough!"

"Ah, it's what a hero's supposed to do." The young man replied bashfully, but paused. "...Well, hero-in-training, but the point's made." He offered a hand to his new friend. "The name's Hercules."

"Oh, I'm Mickey Mouse." The rodent quickly replied, eagerly shaking his hand, although it began to slow down with realization. "...Wait a minute. Hercules..." He gasped, jaw nearly gaping. "You don't mean the one the Stadium is named after?!"

The trainee's face turned red, and he emitted a nervous chuckle. "...Well...yeah...I guess word spreads..."

'Yeah yeah yeah, big hero, save the day, famous stadium." Pete grumbled, trying to steer the attention towards himself, as per the norm. "If you two are gunna stand there yapping, you might as well lead us to the darn place!"

Hercules raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "Heading to my home-town, huh? I'll be glad to lead you there...helping the lost is part of the duty of a hero-in-training!" He turned around, and began to walk. The horses began to valiantly follow him.

Donald glanced to the sleeping giant. "Heh. Serves you right, pig!"

One of Pumba's eyes snapped open, and Donald quickly hid himself under Spirit's belly.

* * *

The city almost seemed to sparkle, as sunlight reflected off of various marble structures. Pillars, grand buildings, and even the sidewalks seemed to have a certain glow to them. As Hercules walked, people nearby would bow to him, throw gifts into his arms, and practically kiss his feet. He would simply nod a thank you to each person, showing off a winning smile. 

"Hey, Herc, what's with this 'in-training' stuff?" Mickey asked, watching the admirers pass by. "These people worship the ground you walk on...if that's not a hero, I don't know what is!"

"Oh, being a hero is more than just being a celebrity." Hercules pointed out, spreading his arms. "It's about protecting the innocent, and making the world a better place for everyone. It takes a lot to live up the fame and glory."

"But you gotta admit, the fame and glory is pretty good!" Pete sneered, rubbing his hands greedily.

The trainee groaned. "That's not what I...oh, never mind. You can all stay at the Stadium tonight, it's a makeshift home."

If they thought the city was glamorous, the stadium was like a piece of heaven had been chipped off. It seemed to span hundreds of feet, with thousands of seats, grand draperies and leathering, and majestic paintings everywhere the eye could see. As they approached the front entrance, a crowd had formed, ecstatic in delight.

"Is it true, Hercules?" A little boy cried out. "Did you defeat the giant warthog?"

He shyly looked down, shaking his head. "Er...I wouldn't say defeat..."

The crowd merely screamed with excitement, chanting about the latest victory.  
"Hercules has slain the dangerous warthog!"  
"All hail Hercules!"  
"Hurray for Hercules!"

Pete, however, had just enough about enough of someone else hogging his spotlight. Giving Altivo a kick, he managed to step forward, and cleared his throat loudly. "I don't want to get you all droolin' or nothin', but your city just got a little better...I'm Prince Pete Khan, passing by on my way to become king!"

Silence. After an awkward moment, the little boy glanced to an elder. "Who's Prince Pete?"

The elder shrugged. "I didn't know King Khan had a son."

Clutching his reigns furiously, Pete began to snarl. "I AM Khan's son! And the next ruler of England! Just you all wait...I'm gunna pull that sword out, and you're all going to be sorry! YOU HEAR ME?! I'M THE GREATEST HERO AROUND, NOT THIS DOPE!" With harder kick to Altivo, he barged through the crowd, angrily storming into the stadium. His growls of unappreciated agony echoed throughout the halls.

Mickey groaned in embarrassment, rubbing his face a little. "Never thought I'd see a horse with two rear ends."

Hercules laughed nervously, trying to quell the situation. "He probably just needs some time to blow off steam...listen, why Donald can put away the horses, the girls can go shopping, and I'll give you a tour of the stadium. What do you say, Mickey?"

The mouse instantly seemed to brighten, giving a thumbs up. "That sounds like a great idea!" He cheered, nodding enthusiastically. He then glanced to his friends, as they exited the carriage. "You all have fun!"

"Sure thing, Mick!" Goofy gave a thumbs up, following the women. "I'll make sure they don't spend too much!"

"What's that supposed to mean? Daisy glanced back at the wizard. Mickey and Hercules quickly made tracks before they could witness THAT disaster.

* * *

It had been a few hours, and the sun was beginning to settle. Pete was gorging his misery on an endless banquet, while Hercules lead Mickey through the grand hallways. During the trip, the two had swapped their stories, drawing inspiration from each other. "That really sounds like a noble quest, Mickey!" Hercules complimented, stopping at a window to glance outside. "Pete may not exactly be my main choice to be king, but I support your effort." 

"Thanks, Hercules...I think." The mouse shrugged, and leaned on his tiptoes to try and catch a glimpse of the view. "What're you looking at?"

Startled, the trainee's face turned red, and he looked away. "...Uh...well...it's nothing..." Yet he shyly waved a hand below, where there was a perfect view of the marketplace. Among the dozens of shoppers, including a good look at Goofy and the girls, was a beautiful brown-haired maiden, glancing through fruits and vegetables. "But do you see that girl in the purple dress?"

Mickey nodded, with a bit of a smile. "Is she your girl?"

If he could go redder, the warrior did. "...I wish." he sighed tragically. "Her name's Megara. I've been trying to court her, but her father's a bit...picky. He says I can't be her boyfriend unless I become a hero. Unfortunately, he's the one who gets to decide that, and so far, he says I'm still a trainee."

"Aw, shucks, that sounds unfair." Mickey replied with a frown, looking back to the crowd. "And you're working so hard..."

"Yeah, but it's worth it!" Hercules said quickly, with a sudden joy to his voice. His eyes glimmered, gleaming down at his sweetheart. "I've never felt like this before...it's like her smile makes the world shine!"

Mickey tried to follow his gaze, but his eyes fell upon the female mouse, who was trying on a new bow, and giggling as she did. "...Her smile, huh?"

"Oh, yes! And she's just so beautiful, you could swear that that the angels are jealous!"

"...Beautiful..." Mickey murmured, resting his head on his hands, watching Minnie finish tying a knot.

"And what a kind soul...she makes my heart feel like it has wings!"

"...Wings..." He blissfully smiled, admiring how her hair flowed in the petite bow, and how wide her smile had become. Anything else Hercules said became mute, as he became entranced by her little fashion display. What he wouldn't give to run his hand through that silky hair, and hear her giggle...

...he was finally jostled when a muscular hand waved in front of his face. "Hello, Mickey, anyone home?"

The squire yelped, and stepped back. "Ah...oh...w-whoops...sorry..."

Hercules glanced outside , then back to his friend, with a devious smirk. "Oh, I see."

"...S-see what?" he stammered, trying to hide his deep blush with his hands.

"Good luck, fellow lovestruck hero-in-training." He chuckled, beginning to walk away.

"L-Lovestruck?! What's that s-supposed to mean?! Hey, come back here and explain!"

* * *

At the market, Daisy had begun to whine, gazing at the lovely mirror that rested on a furnished table. It was coated with jewels and gold, but to her dismay, it was way out of price range. "That's not fair..." The duck cried, wringing her hands. "How will Donald marry me if I don't know when I'm not looking pretty?" 

"Looks aren't everything." Goofy advised, but that only caused Daisy to wail louder.

"Are you saying I'm not pretty NOW?"

"...Uh...Minnie?"

"Oh, no, I'm not getting into this."

Suddenly, a hand slapped down a red bag of coins. The buyer was a tall, beautiful brunette, her ponytail blowing in the breeze. "I'll buy it." She sighed, looking a little aggravated. "But, really, do you want to marry a guy who will only be with you for your looks? Those fade...love doesn't."

If she listened, Daisy didn't show it, happily grabbing the mirror and grinning at her appearance. "Oh, why thank you!"

Minnie rolled her eyes, nervously looking up. "We're very sorry about this, miss..."

"Megara." She finished, with a snap. "Call me Meg...and my father practically owns this city, money's not a problem. Everything else is."

"What do you mean by that?" The wizard asked, cocking his head to a side.

Meg sighed, twirling her ponytail around her finger. "My father's a bit overprotective...he says he wants what's best for me, but I think he cares more about the people he rules over than me."

"I've been there." Minnie said softly, looking down. Daisy looked over, curious, but couldn't ask when the mouse quickly talked again. "Well, we're still in our gratitude. If there's any way we can repay you, let us know...we're staying at Hercule's Stadium."

The brunette raised her eyebrows. "Staying with wonder boy, huh? All I want is to you to keep your hands to yourself, if you know what I'm saying."

"Oh, we wouldn't think of hitting him!" Goofy objected, ignoring the blank stares that followed.

"Don't worry, Meggy, we're preoccupied." Daisy chuckled, linking arms with Minnie. "We've got big boys of our own."

"Daisy, for the last time, Mickey and I are not - "

"So is big daddy not letting you date?" Daisy interjected, ignoring any denials.

"That's an understatement." Meg groaned, holding her head. "Wonder boy's doing everything he can, even putting his life in danger, but dad still says no. I just wish there was a way to prove Hercules is a hero!"

Goofy sympathetically pat her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll find a way, Meg. We'll all be rooting for you!"

With an uncomfortable smile, Meg backed up. "Thanks...I should get going, before Dad pops a gasket." She gave a wave, and headed off.

"That poor thing." Daisy cooed, looking over herself in the mirror once more. "Parents should never put such pressure on their children."

"...No." Minnie murmured. "They shouldn't."

* * *

Night fell on the unnamed city. Everyone was tucked into their beds, sleeping away the tension that had occurred that day. However, Mickey began to stir, and then opened his eyes. Crawling out of his white sheets, and smacked his lips, having a sudden desire for a glass of water. He hobbled out of the guest room, and walked down a hallway, looking for a kitchen. In his sleepy state, he didn't realize someone was in his way until he bumped right smack into Donald. Both shouted, and then stepped back. "Donald?" 

"Watch where you're going..."He grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Why are you up?"

"I've been looking for the bathroom for an hour. This place is too big...and I keep falling asleep and dreaming of monsters..."

Mickey tilted his head. "Monsters?"

"Yeah. I keep hearing this big, loud roar...I also dreamed the ground shook."

The squire suddenly felt movement under his feet. He glanced down, and then back up to his friend. "...Donald, I don't think you're dreaming."

If this needed any conformation, a monstrous howl slammed into their ears, repeating in echoes across the stadium. When it passed, Donald's white face had amazingly gotten paler. "...Well, I may not have to go the bathroom anymore."

"Come on, Donald!" Mickey shouted, running away. "We have to see what that was!"

"We HAVE to?"

The two made their way to the entrance, where an awakened Hercules already stood. He managed to open the doors, and look outside. "What in the world is going on?!"

A flash of purple and red ran by the trio, screaming herself hoarse.

"...So that was Meg?" Donald asked as she flew by.

Another runner came, a dark skinned man with wavy blue hair and black robes, looking and screaming just as frantic.

"...And I'm going to take a guess that was her dad." Mickey added, watching the parade of fear.

Finally, the thunderous roar came once more, along with the rumbling of the earth below. The three heads looked up, to witness a hideous, violet-scaled monster with an elongated neck and dripping fangs, stomping down merchants stalls as it made its way through. It swung its massive had into the stadium, managing to knock down a few rooms and turning them into boulders.

" And THAT must be the roaring, stomping thing." Hercules finished, his eyes wide with fear.

With a sudden turn, Meg dashed towards the trainee, nearly falling into his arms. "Herc! You have to stop that thing!"

The father nearly bumped behind her, looking desperate. "Herc, wonder boy, big hero man, whaddya say about LETTING US IN?!" he snapped, nearly aflame with impatience.

"Oh, right of course!" Hercules stepped aside, letting the two in. "But the monster seems to be heading for the arena inside the stadium...Mickey,Donald, make sure the others are okay! I'll handle this!" With that order given, he began to run deep inside.

Meg suddenly glared at her father, fists curled. "If he defeats the monster, will he be a hero?"

"He can be a tuna sandwich for all I care, I just wanna live!" He barked right back, looking for a safe room.

Mickey desperately looked to Donald. "We can't let Hercules face that thing alone!"

"What's this WE you keep going on about?"

The squire looked in the direction Hercules had run toward, and then back to the fowl. "Sorry, Donald...I have to go help! Please, lead everyone to safety!" Before the stable boy could object, the mouse was gone.

* * *

In the arena, the monster was tearing everything apart with its teeth, hissing and roaring with a deadly force. To the surprise of Hercules and Mickey, Pete was there first, brandishing his trusty blade.

"Pete, what are you doing?!" Mickey cried ot in exasperation. "You'll get killed!"

"You wish!" The prince snarled, holding his weapon high. "If this city needs a REAL hero so badly, I'll give 'em one!" He then shook his sword at the devouring beast. "Hey, you! Come on, I aint afraid of you!"

The monster looked down at the puny cat, and licked its lips, ready for a good meal.

"YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT! COME ON DOWN! I'M THE NEXT KING OF ENGLAND, AND I'M NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING!"

As if taking the challenge head on, the scaled one roared once more, and lowered its head near the prince. It opened its jaws, ready to take a big bite out of more than just his ego. Despite his earlier war cry, Pete closed his eyes out of fear, and wildly swung his sword about...

...In what could only be described as literal dumb luck, neck met blade, and the large head was now rolling on the ground, the body immobile. Slowly, Pete opened his eyes, and then his jaw dropped, seeing the slain remains. Hercules and Mickey had to rub their eyes to believe what they had just seen. Pete, however, didn't take long to stare, as he triumphantly turned around, his hands on his hips. "HA! I told you I could do it! This proves I'll be the future king! You can all now start bowing down and kissing the ground I walked on!"

Mickey was about to make a compliment, but he caught something behind Pete. Terrified, he tried to point. "P...P...P...Pete..."

"Yup, that's right, keep chanting my name!"

Hercules seemed to catch on, as he also looked horrified, and made a motion towards the body. "Your highness..."

"A-huh, you're one and only king, that's me!"

Hot breath suddenly sweat down Pete's back, and the annoyed royal figure turned around. "HEY, I'm trying to rub my nose in their...faces..." His face fell,and his arms fell...as he now gazed into not one, but two heads, each one equally fierce. "...Mama."

Each one roared at him, nearly blowing him away. Pete screeched and shut his eyes again, rapidly flailing his sword again.

"Pete, stop!" Mickey called out, holding his hands out. "You're making it worse!"

Indeed, as dead heads rolled on the ground, new ones began to sprout. By the time Pete could take a breath, there were more heads than Pete could count. (Not that this is an impressive feature, but it was still plenty of heads.)

"Okay, I give." Pete quickly dropped his sword. "YOU can have the throne, mister monster!" he then turned around, and ran right out of the arena, unable to stop screaming. Hercules and Mickey stared at each other, stunned at how quickly the situation had gotten from bad, to worse, to screwed.

Since the pest was gone, the many headed monster resumed its wreckage, ripping the building apart with a newfound glory. Hercules clenched his teeth, growing frustrated. "How are we supposed to kill it, if it keeps growing a new head?"

"We can't give up now, Hercules!" Mickey cried, trying to think. "There's more than one way to skin a cat!"

The trainee looked to his friend. "Wow, do you hate Pete that much?"

"It's just a saying, Hercules..."

"I know, but still, that's pretty - " The conversation was interrupted by several roars at once, as the hydra realized it had another chance for a meal. It began to stomp towards them, each fang glistening in the moonlight. "You know, we can continue this at a better time."

"Agreed." With that settled, the two began to run for their lives. However, with the multiple heads after them, they constantly had to duck, zigzag, and weave, unable to make it out of the arena. As the chase wore on, Mickey spotted the fallen blade, and after a roll on the ground, managed to grab it. "What can I do with this, if cutting the head won't work..." He quickly had to run again, or else be made into a snack. "I don't know how much longer I can run!" he shouted. "My heart's going to explode!"

Suddenly, his eyes widened. Heart...?

"HERCULES!" The squire shouted, running towards his friend. "I have an idea, but I need your help!"

"That's what a hero-in-training is for!" He shouted back, trying to get to his companion. "What's the plan?"

"No time to explain, just throw me under his belly, and then distract him!" Mickey flailed, trying to keep up with Hercules.

"What?! But you could be stomped flat!"

"Please, just trust me!"

Hercules looked to the hydra, then to his friend, and then shrugged. "If you say so!" he then took Mickey by his hand, and began swinging him around like a javelin. After a few spins, he finally let go, sending the squire flying and skidding right under the monster's belly. Then, to complete the plan, he waved his arms, and yelled at the top of his lungs. "Hey, ugly! You have have a lot of heads, but at least my single one looks good!"

Enraged, the beast sent all its heads towards the trainee, who began running around in circles. He did trip once, and a fang manage to make its way across his arm, leaving a nasty wound. However, he continued to wobble on, believing in Mickey.

As for the mouse, he looked up at the purple stomach, and swallowed. He hoped the inside anatomy wasn't as strange as the outside...He took a giant breath, and shoved the sword upwards. Miraculously, it hit the intended mark...the heart.

With a violent shudder, the hydra began to slow down, and stumble on its feet. Its roars began to quiet down, and then stop completely, before flopping over on its side. Hercules gazed at the wonder, and wiped sweat off of his brow. "...Wow. And he's the squire?"

"HERCULES!" Came a horrified cry, as Meg ran out to the arena, followed by her father and the rest of the gang. She grabbed onto his bleeding arm, tears jilting her eyes. "You're hurt!"

"Huh...?" He looked down at his arm, and seemed to notice the injury for the first time. "Oh, that? It's nothing, Meg..."

"It's not nothing, Hercules!" Meg snapped, looking hysterical. "And what happened to the mouse?...Oh, none of this was supposed to happen!"

Startled, Donald looked over at Meg, suspicious. "Wait...what do you mean by that?"

"Oh, she means she made a deal with a witch to let a monster roam here." Goofy said, rather pleasantly.

Daisy gaped at the sorcerer, her beak slack jawed. "...You know, that future-reading thing would really come in handy if you told us these things BEFORE they happened."

"Aw, Daisy, what's life without surprises?"

"Wait, wait, uno momento, por favor, can we slow down here?" The father asked, shaking his hands as he speedily talked. "Meg, sweetie, honey baby doll...is this true?"

Looking hurt, the brunette hung her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. "...I'm sorry..." She whispered. "...But a few days ago, a woman in purple, and wearing horns, she came to me...she said if I lead this monster to the stadium, it would prove Hercules was a hero. I didn't know it'd cause so much damage..."

"W-where's Mickey?" Minnie suddenly interrupted, approaching Hercules. She almost looked ready to cry as well, her hands to her lips. "Is he..."

"Oh, I wouldn't call him down for the count just yet!" Goofy grinned, and pointed toward the deceased beast.

Out from under the belly, two tiny gloved hands began to cling out. Clutching onto the ground, the squire managed to pull himself, and finally stood. A little wobbly, he managed to smile, and give a thumbs up. "Hi everybody!"

A cheer rose up from the group as he walked over, celebrating his victory. Daisy slapped his arm, although clearly giddy. "You have to stop scaring me like that, I'll get wrinkles!"

"You know, you only won because I weakened it." Pete snorted, crossing his arms.

"Mickey..." Meg motioned softly, slowly looking up. "I'm so sorry...I never meant for you to get involved."

The mouse merely smiled, pushing his hat up a little. "It's all right, Megara. I know you didn't mean for this."

She then looked to Hercules, trying to ind the words. "And...and Herc...I..."

"It's okay, Meg." He put his arms around her, and held her. "I forgive you. You were trying to help me...but...please...don't ever put people at risk again, all right?" He touched her cheek. "I would have waited years and years to be enough of a hero to be with you."

"Oh...Wonder Boy..."

"ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT ALREADY!" The father moaned, his face growing red with frustration. "Sheesh, if this got any mushier, I was gunna need a barf beg...Meg baby, do you really love him?" After a nod, he looked to Hercules. "And you, you're gunna take care of her?"

"Of course, sir!"

"Good. But, you ever make her cry, and it's back to 'in-training'!" He spat, sneering snobbishly.

Overjoyed, Megara and Hercules held each other, before locking eyes, and then lips, in a loving embrace. Embarrassed, the animals began to walk away, ready to head back to their rooms, or what was left of them.

"You know, that's the second time someone's said they've seen someone in purple robes..." Goofy pondered out loud, rubbing his chin.

"And she's got horns too, from what Meggy said." Daisy added. "We've got a very powerful witch on our hands..."

"Do you think she could be the Queen?" Donald asked, looking afraid.

"I don't think we should jump to conclusions..." Minnie advised, glancing at Mickey to see if he was well.

"I'm all for jumping!" Pete interjected, wagging a finger. "Thanks to that thing, my sword is gone...obviously, the Queen fears my power!"

With a swallow, Minnie tried to speak again. "But..." She nearly jumped, feeling Mickey's hand touch hers.

"...It's okay, Minnie." He smiled at her. "Queen or not, we'll get to Camelot, and your mother. I promise."

Her cheeks tinted, Minnie stared at him, before a slow curve came to her lips, making her smile as well. "...Thank you..."

Pete coughed as loud as he could, barging in between the two. "Come on, Minnie, I'll guard you back to your room!" Without waiting for her consent, he grabbed her hand, and dragged her away.

Mickey frowned, but shrugged it off, heading back to his room. Goofy came to his side, and tapped his head. "I may not know much about a hero-in-training, but you sure proved to be a hero tonight!"

The squire blushed a little, and chuckled. "Thanks, Goofy...but I couldn't do it without my friends!" He headed off, and the wizard smiled.

The sorcerer then paused, focusing for a moment. The vision had come and gone in a moment, but it was more than enough to make him grin. "Gwarsh...I never would have thought."

**End Of Chapter Eight.**


	10. Siamese If You Please

_This chapter wasn't originally intended in the outline, but I love this girl (I swear she's a real character, she's from the Aladdin cartoon series!) and I felt it would be a good obstacle. Also, the song was too good to pass up. I also enjoyed writing Daisy's fantasy, I'd love to do something like that again XD If you're getting bored, the next chapter is when they finally arrive at Camelot! Yay!_

All characters belong to Disney. What's new, pussycat?

* * *

Six days later...

"A pit stop? That's the last thing we need!" Donald snapped to Pete, as the heroes continued on the path once more. They were again in a forest, with only a small patch of clean dirt to tread upon. The trees were evenly spaced out, so the smaller scenery was much easier to see. Spakrling rivers ran here and then, like shining snakes slithering through the woods with plenty of squishy weeds. "If we keep making so many stops, we'll never get to Camelot before the full moon!"

On his exhausted steed, the prince glared at the stable boy, holding back a growl. "You seem to forget who yer talkin' too! If I say we make a stop, then we make a stop! We've been traveling for almost a straight week without a decent inn!"

"I don't know, your highness." Mickey frowned, gently petting his own tired horse. "The more stops we make, the closer the Covenant gets to us." Although, now that he really thought about it, it was more like the Covenant knew _ahead_ of time were they would head. This had been discussed among the group, with Pete blaming Daisy and her former connections. Daisy had protested, saying she had cut all ties with them, and never once made contact. 'Then who', Donald had asked, 'is telling them where we are?'

Suddenly, Goofy poked his head out of the carriage, his tipsy hat nearly falling off. "Hey, fellas!" He called out. "Can ya'll stop for a moment?"

Curious, the horses began to slow down. "I told you we should stop." Pete pointed out, with a smirk.

"Nah." Goofy waved a dismissive hand. "Just didn't want you to collide with her."

A pause among the men, before Mickey finally asked. "...Collide with who?"

A high pitched screamed answered that question. A frantic figure ran past the group...cloaked in a tanned robe, with a hood covering the head, the screamer zoomed past the stunned group, ignoring them completely. Only seconds later did her assailants appear...a group of angry females, ranging in age but all alike in their fury. Wielding rolling pins and big wooden sticks, they chased after her in a frenzy, going as fast as they'd come.

After an unsteady hesitation, Donald looked down to Goofy. "You saw that in a vision, didn't you."

"Uh-hyuck."

"We can't just let that happen!" Mickey interrupted, gripping onto his reigns. "They've got no right to gang up on someone...let's go, Pluto, Pegasus!" With a snap of the reigns, the steed seemed to gain a new energy in its mission, and galloped after the group. Pluto began to run ahead, trying to get to the victim.

Watching the trio run off, Pete slowly looked to Donald, and then mimicked in a squawking voice. "Ooooh, we can't make any more pit stops!"

"Oh, he'll be back." Goofy chirped, chipper as ever, and then went back into the carriage. He looked to the surprised females, who were still shocked by the entire ordeal. Quite calmly, he talked to them. "So, do either of you like cats?"

* * *

She was completely worn out, and grabbed onto a tree, trying to catch her breath. She heard the crowd, however, and gasped, turning to face them. "No!"

"This is the end, you...you thief!" The leader of the group, announced, aiming a rolling pin at her. Her curly red braid bounced as she talked, spitting out southern drawls. "We're gunna hog tie you down, and wish ya'll never set foot in our town!"

"You tell her, Jessie!" The other women rallied loudly in agreement, shouting their own ideas of torture.

Pluto, however, managed to halt the merriment, nearly knocking the females down as he ran into the scene. He slid to a stop in front of the victim, and then turned to face the fierce femme. He snarled, baring his teeth in a warning. The women seemed to be affected, backing up just a little, but still holding their weapons high. "Out of the way, doggie!"

Fortunately, Pluto was quickly joined by his master, as loud horse steps echoed throughout the forest. With a bit of disgust to his face, Mickey trotted up next to the group, frowning down at them all. "What in the world are all of you doing?"

"Stay out of this, partner!" The leader shouted, waving her rolling pin at him. "This here's our business, so keep your little nose out of it!"

"Doesn't the phrase go 'big nose'?"

"I aint no liar." She pointed to the tiny snout.

With a roll of his eyes, Mickey got to the point again. "What could she have done that's caused you to be so upset?"

"She's done plenty!" One woman cried.

"She's a thief!" Said another.

"She's no good!"

"She brings shame to all women!"

"She's made us all miserable!"

As the complaints rang back and forth, the mouse sighed heavily, and then put two fingers in his mouth, allowing him to make a piercing whistle. The group seemed to freeze, and the squire tried once more. "Okay...I see that you're a little mad...but, what is it EXACTLY that she did?"

"She..." Jessie swallowed, trying to keep her emotions intact. "She..."

"Yes, yes? Stole some gold? Beat someone? Kicked your puppy? What is it?"

"She..." And then, as loud as she could, exclaimed. "SHE STOLE MY MAN!"

"...What?" Mickey asked, dumbfounded. Even the horse and dog had to blink at this.

"She took mine too!"

"She's all my boyfriend ever talks about!"

"My husband's been reconsidering our wedding vows!"

The mouse slapped a hand to his face, and slowly dragged it down. "...Don't you think hurting her is a bit extreme for some...flirting?"

"IT'S WHAT THE GAL DESERVES!" Jessie roared, stomping her feet. "You have any idea how HARD it is to get a man these days? And then she comes along, snatching him away!"

"I..." The cloaked one finally spoke. "...did no such thing."

Mickey raised his eyebrows, surprised the woman had finally talked. Jessie, however, would have none of it. "Horse feathers, you lying tramp! The way you walk, the way you talk, you wanted to steal our men!"

"I cannot help the way I am." She said softly, lowering her hooded head a tad. "Can you not blame your own males, for being weak?"

Enraged, Jessie lifted her rolling pin once more. "Why you little - "

Mickey snapped his reigns, and he rode until he was in front of Jessie, and then snatched the pin away. "I'm not going to let you beat her for being pretty! This is petty!" He tossed the pin away to a side. "Would your men love you for ganging up on her? Not all matters can be settled with violence! Now...go back to where you came, and instead of finding blame, try to strengthen your relationships!"

The women grumbled at the loss of their prey, but began to waver away. One by one, they waked away, until the entire crowd had dispersed. Mickey sighed in relief, and then turned to look at the cloaked one. "Are you all right?"

"I am now." She brought down her hood. A feline this was, with enchanting green eyes. Her dark hair was hung together tightly with gold, and her fur was as dark as wet sand. A beauty that was truly unmatched, she flicked a hair away from her face, and cast her haunting eyes to her savior. "I can not imagine how I'd repay you."

Indifferent to her appearance, Mickey offered her a hand. "Here, let me get you back home."

She gripped his hand, perhaps a little longer than necessary. She crawled onto Pegasus, and sat behind the mouse. She was quite taller than him, but then, who wasn't? Mickey gently clicked his tongue, and the white horse began to trot, the little dog following at once. To ensure she wouldn't fall off, the cat laced her arms around Mickey's neck. He blinked at this, but decided it was nothing to worry over. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come along." She added. "You'd think they could ignore a little wink or flirt here and there."

"Yeah, really, it's no..." Mickey trailed off, and then looked behind him. "Wait. So you really WERE flirting with all their men?"

"Sure." She said quite casually. "If people have talent, they should use it to their advantage. Mine just happens to be beauty. You couldn't count all the free meals its gotten me."

"..." He quickly looked ahead once more, wondering what kind of trouble he'd gotten himself into.

* * *

Back with the others, they were all standing outside on their feet, looking over a map. Pete still wanted to make a stop, and so they were looking for a nearby town. Of course, once was extremely close, which would explain the fervor of women earlier. As they heard hooves trotting, they all looked up to see the squire's return. Pete crossed his arms, ready to whine. "Well it's about time you..."

Then all the attention shifted to the lovely lady with her arms around their friend. Goofy just waved, as he had seen this coming. The women gaped, and Pete and Donald looked quite interested. (Although the latter was smacked upside the head by Daisy.)

"...Heh heh..." Mickey laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "...Well...this is the woman who was being chased."

"The name's Mirage." She said simply, and slid off of the saddle. She brushed herself down a little, before surveying the group. "A pleasure."

"Sure is!" Pete said at once, grinning from ear to ear. "I had my squire go out and rescue you at once, you know...couldn't just let someone get hurt for no reason!" The big lummox was nearly drooling.

Donald looked up at his superior. "What about Minnie?" he asked, jabbing him a little with his elbow.

"Who's Minnie?" The starstruck prince asked, still staring at the feline wonder.

Mickey cleared his throat, trying to gain control of the situation. "Maybe we should just head to town, and see if we can get a place to sleep for the night. Can you lead the way, Mirage?"

Mirage looked to Mickey, and gave him a coy smile. "It would be a delight." She gently took hold of Pegasus's reigns, and began to lead him away, sashaying a little. Pete hopped on his horse, much to Alvio's woe. Donald climbed back on the carriage, and Goofy went inside of it. The men began to follow, while Daisy just put her hands on her hips.

"Oh, no she didn't." She sad haughtily. "She did NOT just try to be sweet with Mickey!"

Minnie blinked at this. "You don't really think..."

"I don't think, I KNOW!" Daisy barked, looking Minnie right in her petite face. "She's going to steal your man!"

"...Daisy, Mickey isn't 'my man'..."

"Are you going to give him up, without even a fight?!"

Minnie went to speak, but then stopped herself. She hesitated, and then began to walk. "Whatever makes him happy is nothing I can change."

Daisy watched her, and then began to follow. However, she was rubbing her hands together devilishly...a new scheme was brewing.

* * *

At the town, which was named 'Woody's Roundup', there was an uneasy tension in the air as the gang entered. Men would give intrigued looks, while women glared with utmost hatred. No inns would admit them, so they decided to shop around for supplies, while the horses and carriage were rested back in the woods.

Mirage tossed an apple up and down, murmuring a little. "Little expensive for a piece of fruit..."

"M-Mirage!" The shopkeeper gasped, and instantly began to sweat. "Oh, well, for YOU, it's free!"

She smiled sweetly at this. "You're too kind." She gave a bat of her eyelashes, and then sunk her sharp teeth into the apple. After swallowing, she licked her lips of the juice, which gathered the looks of every male within a five foot radius.

"Can you excuse my friend for a moment?" Mickey interrupted, and tugged Mirage away by her hand. "Mirage...don't you think flirting would get you back in trouble all over again?" He let her go, and looked up at her.

"I know, I know." She sighed, looking at the fruit. "I just can't help it. Bad habits are hard to break."

"Especially if you keep doing it." Minnie muttered, looking away from the diva. "I'll go pa for the apple." She left the group, looking a little disapointed.

"You've got at least try." Mickey offered, ignoring Minnie's rebuttal. "Everyone deserves a second chance. You've got to realize you're hurting the women when you do that."

Mirage paused for a moment, before slowly smiling at Mickey. "...Can I ask you something?"

He blinked. "Huh?...Oh. Well, sure."

"...You called me your friend...did you mean that?"

He paused, but then gave a genuine smile. "Well, sure! You've given me no reason to think otherwise...and I always help out my friends!"

She placed a hand to her heart, touched. "...I've rarely met a man so sweet."

"Aw, shucks." his cheeks tinted a little, and he laughed a little. "Listen, let's try the next shop, and we can buy something honestly." He took her hand, and began to walk away with her.

This left just Pete, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto. Donald looked to the only female remaining, looking a tad amused. "I'm surprised you hadn't ranted about how she's stealing Minnie's man."

"It's fine with me." Pete snorted, rubbing his nose a little. "This leaves Minnie-girl all mine!"

"Tsk, tsk." Daisy wagged a finger, clicking her tongue. "Are you all so blind? This works out perfectly for the mouse romance!"

"...I don't get it." Goofy cocked his head, looking confused.

"It's simple!" Daisy triumphantly pointed a finger in the air. "With Mirage and Mickey spending so much time together, Minnie will feel jealous! But she's such a sweet soul, she'd never try anything...instead...

_'Mickey, I can't be in the way of your happiness any longer!' She'll cry, looking away with tears in her eyes. 'I will leave, forever, so that you may be __forever__ happy with your beloved Mirage!' _

Touched at this revelation, Mickey will take her hands and gaze at her lovely face. 'Don't speak such foolishness, my darling! Mirage could never take the place you have in my heart! You are the only one for me!'

_'Oh, I have no chance!' Mirage will groan. 'Their love for each other is so powerful! I wish you only the best!'  
_

_Then Minnie will hold hands with her one and only, eyes glimmering with desire. 'Oh, my magnificent Mickey, I love you!' _

And then, they will embrace, with Minnie admitting her love over and over! And we will all clap and praise for their bliss! Then Donald will say 'Oh wonderful Daisy, their true love has inspired me! Let us be wed at once!'

"HEY! KEEP ME OUT OF YOUR WEIRD FANTASIES!"

Pete was going to yell as well, but noticed Minnie returning, holding a new apple. "What took you so long?"

"Oh, nothing." She brushed at her dress a little, and then stepped aside, as a furious woman stormed out of the shop.

"Where is that Mirage?!" The woman hissed. "She made my husband give away free food! She's a dead woman!" At that moment, Mirage and Mickey and left the adjacent store, and so she charged after them, screaming and lamenting.

Pluto looked to Minnie, and sat on his hind legs, giving her a wary look. Goofy looked down at the little maiden as well. "Minnie, are you a tattletale?"

"Why, I don't know what you mean." She replied casually, and bit into her apple.

The argument came to a close, and Mirage and Mickey sadly returned to their friends, looking a little worse for the wear. "Not exactly the most forgiving people..." Mickey sighed, adjusting his hat.

"Well, I'm sure the other storekeeper is just as mad." Minnie huffed, taking another annoyed bite.

"But that's just it!" Mirage moaned, holding up a basket of bread. "I honestly paid at the second shop! But thanks to whoever told that woman, everyone's going to distrust me again..."

Many eyes went to Minne, who was a little pale with guilt. Mickey didn't seem to notice, and looked up at Mirage. "Well, if these people can't trust you, then who needs them? We're your friends...you can just stick with us!"

Mirage's eyes softened, and she managed to smile again. "Do you really mean that?"

"As sure as my ears are big!" he laughed, trying to cheer her up. "If we're not welcome here, we'll camp out in the forest."

"But I wanted an inn!" Pete complained, his body sagging. The others ignored him, as per the usual, and made way back to the forest. He grumbled, and tried to catch up with Minnie. "Well, Minnie, at least you have one guy you can count on!"

"I'm not jealous." She said rather quickly, pouting a little.

"...I didn't say you were." Pete frowned. So much for getting rid of the competition.

* * *

The gang decided to set up camp, with Goofy amazingly pulling out firewood, a black pot, a wooden spoon, and other cooking utensils from his small ratty bag. He began to make a stew, humming merrily to himself. The others had gone to the nearby streams to get a quick bath in, separated by genders of course. As the girls began to finish up and put their outfits back on, Mirage cast a glance towards Minnie. "You don't like me, do you."

Startled, it took Minnie a moment to answer. "I never said that."

"Well you haven't exactly made me feel welcome." She tapped her chin in thought. "...Is it over Mickey?"

Daisy was quiet for once, just watching the exchange as he did her feathers in a ponytail. Minnie bit her lip, trying to find the best response. "...I'm sorry. I may have been acting a little rude."

"Listen, if he's taken, I'll back off." Mirage replied, going through her hair with her long nails.

"...He's not." Minnie said quietly, looking at her reflection in the river. She took a large breath, and then looked at Mirage, with a forced smile. "You may do whatever you like."

"I'm glad to have your blessings." The cat replied with a hint of sarcasm. She stood up, finishing with everything. "I'll see you girls later." With a slight wave, she sashayed off once more.

Daisy looked to her friend, looking very concerned. "Minnie? Are you really not going to do anything?"

For a moment, she didn't reply. Instead, Minnie touched the water, and watched it ripple a while, before it showed her face once more. "...When will my reflection show who I am inside?" She asked softly, and was not surprised when no answer came.

* * *

Later on, lunch was served. Despite it's rather..._unique_ look, it was rather delicious. Bits of chatter came around, and then at one point, Mirage paused in her eating. "It's a little cold." She frowned. "Would you mind if I went to get more firewood?"

"Aw, I'm sure I got some more!" Goofy said with a smile, and then dug into his bag, pulling various objects out. "Let's see...wooden chopsticks, wooden leg, wooden ship, wood a shoulda coulda, knock on wood - "

"I think it's better if we search for some." Mickey interrupted, standing up. "I'll go with Mirage, it'll be faster that way." With no further argument, he walked with Mirage into the woods. An awkward silence followed, no one sure how to address the issue.

"...Tastes warm to me." Donald finally said, giving a bit of a slurp.

"Oh, my plan is falling to pieces." Daisy sighed sadly, stirring her own bowl. "Minnie you can't honestly say this doesn't bother you! I KNOW you have feelings for him!"

Minnie didn't look up, still eating. Pluto whined a little, and then placed his head on her lap. She paused, but slowly pet him. "...Like I said, Daisy. Whatever makes him happy, I can't change."

Daisy went to eat a little, but stopped upon realization. For once, Minnie had not said she did not have feelings.

* * *

"I think this should be enough." Mickey grunted, putting the last of the collected sticks together in a large pile. He wiped a bit of sweat off of his forehead, and then sat down. "Heck, it should be enough for a year's worth of meals!"

Mirage put a tiny stick down, and then sat by him. "...Mickey...may I talk to you about something?"

"Oh, sure." He gave his casual smile.

"...I can see what's happening."

"...What?"

"And they don't have a clue."

"Who?"

"I'm in love, and here's the bottom line...I don't want a trio, I want us two."

"Oh...wait." Mickey's eyes nearly popped out of his head, and he stared up at the taller companion. "Can you repeat that first part?"

"The sweet caress of twilight..." She gently touched his reddening cheek. "There's magic everywhere...and with all this romantic atmosphere..." She put her other hand on his shoulder, and leaned in dangerously, their noses touching.

"Uh...M-Mirage..." Mickey stammered, his hands shaking a little. He had no idea where this was coming from! His heart was pounding, and he felt rather dizzy, with all this disaster in the air. Yet he couldn't just shove her off, as morals reminded him in his head. So what was he supposed to do?!

Undeterred, the feline closed her eyes, lips out...

* * *

The group was finishing up dinner, and plopping everything back in Goofy's amazing blue bag. The canine whistled, looking up at the sunny sky. "Sure is taking them a while. I hope they're okay."

"I bet they're just fine." Pete jeered, leaning back a little. "Heck, I bet Mickey's having the time of his life."

"Shut up, Pete!" Daisy snapped, and then touched her female friend's shoulder in comfort. "...Minnie...I'm sorry...maybe I've been pressing you too much..."

A bit reluctantly, Minnie looked up to her, distress all over her face. "...It's all right, Daisy. You meant well. It's better off this way...he would never be happy with me."

"What makes you say that?" The fowl inquired, trying to pull her into a hug.

"...Daisy...the truth is...I...I-I...I'm..."

**ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**

In a flurry of dust, a figure shot right by them, and up into the nearest tree. In a drawn-out look up, the agape group saw the trembling squire clinging onto a tree branch as if it was life support. Before any of them could question, a screech echoed out, as cold as ice. "How DARE you reject me, you little rodent?!" In the scene stormed Mirage, looking absolutely furious. "I was about to give you the greatest pleasure of your insignificant life, AND YOU RUN AWAY?! GET DOWN HERE AND KISS ME!"

"Don't wanna." Said rodent squeaked, trembling as he held onto the branch.

"Don't...DON'T WANNA?!" Mirage screamed, her eyes nearly on fire with rage. "You ungrateful abrasion! I should have just followed Maleficent's advice and killed you instantly!" Ignoring the alarmed looks of the others, she held out hands, and in an instant, her nails shot up with size! She then charged at the three, slicing it across with her new claws. The tree creaked, and then tipped over with a thunderous crash! The frightened squire quickly began to run away, with Mirage hot on his heels, slicing and dicing everything in her path.

The hush among the gathered lasted only a few seconds, before Goofy quipped. "Well now. She's a witch."

"We should probably follow him." Daisy added, looking to the torn tree.

"If not for the entertainment." Pete grinned, and off the group went, following the path of destruction.

* * *

Mirage had lost sight of her target, and if possible, her anger increased by the tenfold. She howled in vexation, until she came upon one of the many streams. In it floated his black hat, with the single feather. She leered, and knelt to the water. "What a fool...I may be a cat, but I have no trouble looking for you in the water!" She tossed the hat aside, and shoved her hands in the water, desperately clawing and searching.

"Then I hope you like to swim!" Came a voice from the trees. Before she had time to react, Mickey jumped from a branch. Mirage had only searched the ground, while he used his speed to dart from tree to tree, until he came with the water scheme. As he fell, he kicked Mirage right into the stream, leaving the flustered cat to flail about wildly. In the mess, Mickey managed to grab a hold of long weeds that stuck up around the stream, and wasted no time in tying them around Mirage's wrists. The giant nails shrunk back to normal size, as Mickey had remember an important line from Daisy... _Plus, our magic can be stopped temporarily if our arms are bound. _

Gargling, Mirage lifted her head slightly, clearly steamed. "What ARE you?! Any sane man would have fallen to my charms!"

The others began to catch up, but Mickey hadn't noticed, too focused on his opponent. "Not me, Mirage. My heart is already devoted!"

Upon hearing this, Minnie's face flushed red, and Daisy giggled, grinning at the mouse. Mickey continued, grabbing Mirage by the hair and holding her up. "Now, who is Maleficent? Is she the Queen of the Covenant?"

"Don't make me laugh!" The witch hissed, looking away. "Maleficent is a new ruler...we are tired of waiting for our Queen to do something about you meddlers! We are a new group of the Covenant...when we find the Queen, we will kill her, and take over! England will belong to us!"

Mickey frowned, and then let her go, stepping back onto the shore. "Hey, Goofy, can you drop her off back in town? I bet Jessie would love a reunion." Mirage paled, and yelled loudly as Goofy dragged her off, happy as always.

"I didn't think it was possible..." Donald grumbled, rubbing his bill in contemplation. "...but things have gotten from bad to worse. Now we've got TWO groups who want to rule England!"

"There could be a million, for all I care." Pete grunted, hiding his fear under pride. "None of them will be able to stop me from being King! Let's go back to the carriage, and head for Camelot!" With that settled, he began to storm away.

"What about pit stops?!" Donald shouted, and followed after him, ready to argue. "Make up your mind!"

Mickey and the girls began to go after them, but Daisy tugged on Mickey's arm, looking a little giddy. "Well now, Mickey...Just what exactly is your heart devoted to?"

He raised his eyebrows, surprised she hadn't known. "Why, England, of course. I devote myself entirely my country and its people, so we can all live in peace!"

The girls stared at him, before walking ahead of him in a bit of a huff. "Spoilsport!" Daisy called out, sticking her beak in the air.

Mickey watched them go, as confounded as ever. He shrugged, and picked up his wet hat. As he resumed walking, he felt himself a blush a little...It wasn't that he lied, exactly...

...It just wasn't _all_ England.

**End Of Chapter Nine.**


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